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FROM   THE   LIBRARY   OF 


REV.    LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.   D.  D. 


BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 


THE   LIBRARY  OF 


PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


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SEP  23  1931  * 


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ABRAHAM    COLES: 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH, 
Memorial  Tributes, 

Selections  from  his  Works, 

(SOME   HITHERTO  UNPUBLISHED.) 

EDITED    BY    HIS    SON 

Jonathan  Ackerman  Coles,  A.M.,  M.D. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW  YORK: 

D.   APPLETON   &   COMPANY. 

1892 


copyright,  1892,  by 
Jonathan  Ackerman  Coles. 


NEWARK,  N.  J. 

ADVERTISER  PRINTING  HOUSE, 

1892 


DEDICATED 


THE     EVANGELICAL     ALLIANCE, 

"  AN    ASSOCIATION 

FOR    THE    DEFENSE    OF    RELIGIOUS    LIBERTY 

AND    PROMOTING 

THE    UNITY    OF    ALL    BELIEVERS 

IN    THE    ESSENTIALS    OF     CHRISTIANITY 

AND     THEIR 

CO-OPERATION  FOR  ITS  PROGRESS." 


"Unum  corpus  sumus  in  Chris  to.' 


"  Non   valet,  haec   ego    dico,  hciec    tu  dicis,  haec   Me  dicit- 
sed  haec  dicit  Dominus." — Augustine. 


Rev.  Josiah  Strong,  "THE  EVANGELICAL  ALLIANCE, 

"  General  Secretary,  ..^  ^  ^.^  ^^  of  A  merica^ 

Rev.  Frank  Russell,  ,.ii7   Bible  HouSE) 

"  Field  Secretary. 


"New  York,  30  Dec,  1891. 


"  Dear 


"  Deerhurst,  Scotch  Plains,  N.  J.: 

"  My  esteemed  colleague,  Dr.  Strong,  was  called  to  Iowa  as  your 
favor  of  recent  date  reached  the  office.  He  desired  me  to  name  its 
subject  matter  to  some  of  the  members  of  our  Executive  Commit- 
tee, and  then  to  answer  you  accordingly.  I  have  done  so,  and 
only  express  their  pleasure,  as  well  as  that  of  Dr.  Strong,  when  I 
say  that  we  should  all  be  very  glad  to  have  the  Alliance  honored 
with  the  dedication  of  the  book,  as  it  was  always  honored  by  the 
word  and  deed  of  your  justly  eminent  father. 

"May  I  add  that  I  have  become  personally  much  interested  in 
the  book,  and  shall  be  glad  when  the  copy  reaches  the  office. 

"In  behalf  of  Dr.  Strong, 

"Most  truly  yours, 

"Frank   Russell." 


CONTENTS. 

Dedication,            ._..._  Page  iii 

Letter  from  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  -    Page  iv 

List  of  Illustrations,         ....  Page  xv 

Subjects  Discussed  at  the  General  Chris- 
tian Conferences  of  the  World's 
Alliance,         -         -         -  Pages  xix-xlvi 

The  Shepherd  of  the  Nations,      -  Page  xxi 

The  Messiah, Pages  xxii-xxiii 

"  O  most  illustrious  of  the  days  of  time  ! 

Breath    of    Life,    Natural    and    Spiritual — (From    "The 

Microcosm,") Page  xxiv 

"  God  breathed,  O  breath  with  heavenly  sweetness  rife  ! 
Into  man's  nostrils  first  the  breath  of  life." 

Theopneusty — (From  "  The  Microcosm,")        -  Page  xxv 

"O  via  sacra,  O  thrice  blessed  door, 
Once  hallowed  with  Thy  presence,  hallow  Lord  !   once 
more." 

•God  in  Nature — (From  "Cosmos,")     -  Page  xxvi 

Morning  Hymn — (From  "  Cosmos,")         -        -  Page  xxvii 

The  Unsearchable  Riches  of  Christ,        -  -  Page  xxviii 

The  Bible,           .......  Page  xxix 

The  Fatherhood  of  God,     ....  -    Page  xxix 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Reason  and  Faith,  - 

Christ  Suited  to  all  Characters, 
Unity  of  the  Origin  of  Mankind, 
The  Sovereignty  of  Man," 
Christian  Legislation,     - 

Christian  Education, 

Columbus. 
Christ's  Love  for  Children, 


Christian  Love,      - 

From  a  letter  to  George  MacDonald. 

Christian  Activity,  - 

From  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cuyler. 

Christian  Assurance,  ... 


Page  xxx 

-  Page  xxxi 
Page  xxxi 

-  Page  xxxiii 
Page  xxxiii 

Page  xxxviii 

Page  xlii 
Page  xliii 


Page  xliv 
Page  xlvi 


Biographical  Sketch  of  Abraham   Coles, 

by  Ezra  M.  Hunt,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.,         -         Pages  1-20 

Birth;  parents;  the  ancestral  farm;  Dennis  Coles;  Shepard 
Kollock;  "The  Recorder  of  the  Times,"   -  Page  2 

School  days;  teacher  of  Latin  and  mathematics;  enters  as  a 
student  the  law  office  of  Chief  Justice  Hornblower,     -     Page  4 

Studies  medicine;  attends  lectures  at  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons,  N.  Y.,  and  graduates  from  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  1835;  makes  a  profession  of  his 
Christian  faith;  settles  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  for  the  practice  of 
medicine  and  surgery,        ------         Page  5 

His  fondness  for  the  classics;  his  marriage;  the  death 
of  his  wife;  sails  for  Europe;  the  French  Revolution  of 
1848, Page  6 

His  literary  and  professional  standing  in  1849;  again  visits 
Europe,  1854,    --------  Page  7 


CONTENTS.  vii 

The  laying  out  and  beautifying  of  Deerhurst;  the  residence, 
labyrinth  and  paddock  for  deer,         ....         Page  8 

"The  Microcosm,"  the  physiological  poem  delivered  as 
President  of  the  Medical  Society  of  New  Jersey,  at  its  cen- 
tennial anniversary,  ___---       Page  10 

Honorary  degrees  received  from  Rutgers,  Lewisburg  Uni- 
versity and  College  of  New  Jersey,  Princeton,     -  Page  12 

La  Grippe;  California;  his  death,  -        -         Page  13-14 

His  versions  of  the  "Dies  Irae  "  and  other  Latin  hymns; 

Page  15 

"The  Evangel,"  and  "The  Light  of  the  World;"      Page  16 

Unpublished  manuscripts,         ...        -  Page  16 

"A  New  Rendering  of  the  Hebrew  Psalms  into  English 
Verse,"       ---------       Page  17 

His  respectful  bearing  toward  all;  his  fondness  for  little 
children;  his  belief  in  his  profession,         -         -        Pages  1S-20 

His  admiration  for  Abraham  Lincoln,         -         -         Page  33 

Selections  from  Memorial  Tributes,'   -        Pages  21-78 

In  Memoriam,  Theophilus  Bond;  "Newark  Daily  Adver- 
tiser;" "Union  County  Standard;"  New  York  "Tribune;" 
Essex  County  Medical  Society;  Drs.  G.  R.  Kent,  Arthur  Ward, 
Joseph  D.  Osborne,  Joseph  C.  Young,     -        -        Pages  22-27 

Funeral  services  at  the  Homestead  on  Market  street 
and  at  the  Church;  Rev.  Dr.  A.  H.  Burlingham;  Rev. 
Dr.  W.  W.  Boyd;  Prof.  Edward  M.  Bowman;  New  Jersey 
Historical  Society;  Rev.  Dr.  Parks;  Rev.  Dr.  Lowry;  Mr. 
James  Sauvage;  Rev.  Charles  F.  Deems,  D.  D.;  Rev. 
George  Dana  Boardman,  D.  D.;  Rev.  Dr.  MacArthur;  Vice- 
Chancellor  A.  V.  Van  Fleet;  Judge  David  A.  Depue;  ex- 
Chancellor  Theodore  Runyon;  the  Hon.  Amzi  Dodd;  Hon. 
Thomas  N.  McCarter;  Hon.  Cortlandt  Parker;  Hon.  A. 
Q.    Keasbey;     Hon.     Frederick    W.     Ricord,    Alexander    H. 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Ritchie,  William  Rankin,  Charles  Kyte,  Noah  Brooks,  Edmund 
C.  Stedman,  Wilson  Schoch,  L.  Spencer  Goble,  Dr.  S.  H.  Pen- 
nington, Dr.  A.  W.  Rogers,  Dr.  Ezra  M.  Hunt,  Dr.  B.  L. 
Dodd,  Dr.  J.  C.  Young,  Dr.  T.  H.  Tomlinson,    -    Pages  2S-37 

Rev.  Robert  S.  MacArthur,  D.  D.;  Rev.  Theodore  L. 
Cuyler,  D.  D.;  Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.;  Rev.  Richard  S. 
Storrs,  D.  D.;  James  Russell  Lowell;  Mrs.  Mabel  Lowell 
Burnett;  William  Dean  Howells;  Justice  Bradley,  of  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court;  Alexander  H.  Ritchie;  Dr. 
S.  H.  Pennington;  Hon.  A.  Q.  Keasbey;  Dr.  A.  W.  Rogers; 
Noah  Brooks;  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  Roman  Catholic 
Archbishop;  J.  Marron  Dundas,  of  Philadelphia;  Hon.  John 
Wanamaker,  Postmaster  General;  John  G.  Whittier;  Dr. 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,         ...  -  Pages  3S-46 

Mrs.  Benjamin  Harrison;  Mrs.  Julia  Ward  Howe;  Mrs. 
Florence  Howe  Hall;  Mrs.  Julia  Parmly  Billings;  Hon.  Cort- 
landt  Parker;  Rev.  Robert  Lovvry,  D.  D. ;  Rev.  James 
McCosh,  D.  D.,  of  Princeton;  Richard  W.  Gilder;  Rev. 
Wayland  Hoyt,  D.  D. ;  "The  Critic,"  New  York;  Frederick 
W.  Ricord;  Rev.  Wendell  Prime,  D.  D.;  Mary  J.  Porter; 
Rev.  Edward  P.  Terhune,  D.  D.;  Marion  Harland,  Pages  47-56 

Rev.  George  M.  Van  Darlip,  Century  Association,  New 
York;  Rev.  Charles  S.  Robinson,  D.  D.;  Gen.  Theodore 
Runyon;  Rev.  Henry  Clay  Trumbull,  D.  D.;  Hiram  H. 
Tichenor,  M.  D.;  the  "New  York  Observer;"  Rev.  T.  E. 
Vassar,  D.  D.;  Rev.  A.  H.  Lewis,  D.  D  ;  Rev.  A.  H.  Burling- 
ham,  D.  D. ;  J.  K.  Hoyt;  Rev.  J.  M.  Stevenson,  D.  D.;  Vice- 
Chancellor  A.  V.  Van  Fleet;  Rev.  Edgar  M.  Levy,  D.  D.; 
Rev.  D.  J.  Yerkes,  D.  D.;  Prof.  Robert  T.  S.  Lowell,  D.  D. ; 
Mary  A.  Lowell;  Hon.  Judge  David  A.  Depue;  Hon.  and 
Mrs.  J.  S.  T.  Stranahan;  Grace  Aspinwall  Bowen;  Margaret 
E.  Sangster;  Rev.  Edwin  W.  Rice,  D.  D.,       -         Pages  57-65 

Rev.  F.- M.  McAllister;  Rev.  Alexander  McLaren,  D.  D.; 
Rev.  J.  W.  Sarles,   D.  D.;  Rev.   George  E.   Horr,  D.  D.;  Rev. 


CONTENTS. 

Samuel  R.  House,  M.  D.,  D.  D.;  William  Rankin;  Rev. 
Robert  P.  Kerr,  D.  D. ;  Aaron  M.  Powell,  of  the  Society  of 
Friends;  Richard  J.  Dunglison,  M.  D.;  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.  D  ; 
Rev.  Abraham  Coles  Osborn,  D.  D.,        -         -  Pages  66-70 

Bishop  John   H.  Vincent,   D.   D.;  Rev.  W.   C.  Stitt,  D.   D.; 
Mrs.  Mary  Mapes  Dodge;  Edmund  C.  Stedman;  Prof.  William 
G.    Blaikie;  Rev.    Edward  Judson,    D.    D. ;  Edward   Bierstadt 
Rev.  Josiah  Strong,  D.  D.:  Rev.    Henry   M.  Sanders,   D.  D. 
Rev.   D.   R.   Frazer,   D.   D  ;  Rev.    H.  W.    Ballantine,   D.    D. 
E.  A.  Von  Diezelski;  Rev.  Lyman  Abbott,  D.  D.,   Pages  70-73 

Rt.  Rev.  John  Williams,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Connecticut;  Rt.  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks,  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  Massachusetts;  Rev.  Benjamin  Griffith,  D.  D.; 
Nathan  Haskell  Dole;  Elizabeth  G.  Shepard,  "  Boston  Tran- 
script,"        _-.------  Page  74-78 

ADDITIONAL    SELECTIONS    FROM    THE   WRITINGS 
OF   DR.    COLES. 

A  New  Year's  Greeting,  -  Page  81 

Harmony, Page  83 

"  He  fails  in  everything  who  fails  in  Love." 

The  Redeemer, Page  84 

"The  Saviour's  advent  to  this  far-off  earth, 
Who  came  that  He  might  bring  the  lost  one  back." 

The  Future  Life,  ------     Page  88 

"The  hour  of  birth  into  another  life  ! 
Sooner  or  later  it  must  come  to  all." 

Hymns  for  Whitsunday,     -----  Page  95 


X  CONTENTS. 

Veni  Creator  Spiritus — Translation,  -         -     Page  96 

Veni  Sancte  Spiritus — Translation,  -          Page  97 

The  Sower,                -  Page  99 

Forefathers'  Day, Page  100 

Read  before  the  New  England  Society  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
on  Plymouth  Rock,  Dec.  io,  1620,  O.  S. 

The  Scotch  Plains,      -  Page  109 

"  From  Scotland  the  first  settlers  came — " 

Return  After  Absence,     ...         -        Page  115 

"  I  tread  once  more  my  native  Plain." 

Prayer  in  Affliction,    -  Page  119 

"Since  dust  to  Deity  may  speak, 
I  come,  O  God!  with  bleeding  breast." 

On  the  Death  of  President  Garfield,  Page  125 

"The  Nation's  choice,  the  Nation's  chief, 
Who  was  so  long  in  dying." 

Horace — Garfield, Page  128 

Non  Omnis  Moriar  !     Carmen  XXX,  Liber  III. 

"  I've  reared  a  monument  alone 
More  durable  than  brass  or  stone." 

Translations  of  Horace,     ...        -     Page  131 
Liber  II,  Carmen  XX. — Ad  M^cenatem. 
Liber  I,  Carmen  XXIV. — Ad  Virgilium. 


CONTENTS.  xi 

Paris  in  1848  and  1871,     -  Page  137 

A  personal   experience. 

Rome,  Italy.     1854, Page  145 

Mrs.  Crawford's  agreeable  soirees;  Hon.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  B. 
Kinney,  Florence;  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning;  Hiram 
Powers  and  his  busts  of  "  Eve  "  and  "  Charity." 

Windermere, Page  147 

Niagara,         _-__...     Page  149 

Urbs  Ccelestis  Syon,  (Bernard  of  Cluny),       Page  150 

The  Better  Country — Translation. 

"The  Life  here  below  so  brief  is  brief  woe, 
A  brief  mortal  space  for  weeping  afforded; 
Not  briefly  to  sigh,  then  lie  down  and  die, 
Is  the  life  that's  to  be  hereafter  awarded." 

Proem,  (from  "The  Evangel,")  -         -         Page  161 

"Spirit  Divine,  the  adding  up  of  gifts, 
Communicable  Godhead,  be  my  guest." 

The  Rt.  Hon.  W.  E.  Gladstone;  Rev.  Stephen  Gladstone; 
Science;  Evolution. 

''In  the  Beginning  Was  the  Word  (The  Logos), 

and    the   Word    Was    With    God,    and    the 

Word  Was  God,"     ...         -    Pages  167-172 

The  first  Christians,  Platonists,  the  Ebionites,  the  Gnostics, 
Arianism,  Ebionism,  Marcionism  (Docetic  Gnosticism),  Sabellian- 
ism,  Apollinarianism,   Nestorianism;  Eutychianism  and  Monothe- 


xii  CONTENTS.- 

litism  or  Monophysitism,  as  well  as  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  the 
ubiquity  of  Christ's  body;  Creeds,  Confessions  and  Christologies; 
the  Trinity. 

The  Servants  of  the  Pen,       ...         Page  172 

The  Son  of  the  Law,  -         -  Pages  173-183 

Christ's  Infancy  and  Childhood  to  the  age  of  twelve,  and  of  the 
intervening  years  up  to  thirty;  the  Apocryphal  and  Canonical 
Gospels;  the  Apollo  Belvedere;  Renan,  Rousseau;  Strauss'  boasted 
"apparatus  for  causing  the  miracles  of  the  evangelic  history  to 
evaporate  into  myths." 

John  the  Baptist, Page  183 

The  Rev.  William  R.  Williams,  D.  D. 

The  Baptism,  -  Pages  185-188 

"God  sent  thee  to  baptize,  and  it  is  fit 
That  I  should  ratify  and  thou  submit." 

"Judge  Not," Pages  189-190 

The  salvation  of  infants  and  the  heathen. 

That  All  Men  Should  Honor  the  Son,  Even  as 

They  Honor  the  Father,         -         -     Pages  191-201 

Christ's  consciousness  of  the  fact  that  He  was  both  God  and 
Man. 

Epithalamium, Page  202 

The  Marriage  in  Cana,         -         -  Pages  204-211 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

Wine  and  New  Wine,        -         -         -         Pages  212-219 

Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  and  unfermented  wine. 
Farewell:  Land  of  Gennesaret,        -     Pages  220-226 

Portas  Vestras  ^Eternales — Translation,       Page  227 

The  Resurrection,    ....        Pages  229-244 

Regeneration, Page  245 

"  The  lips  of  Truth  to  all  declare, 
'  Ye  must  be  born  again.'  " 

The  Many  Mansions,  -        -        -        Pages  248-251 

The  Lord's  Supper. 

Eucharistic  Hymn, Page  252 

Hark  !    Cherub  Voices  Say,      -         -         -  Page  253 

Dies  Ir.-e —  17th  version,  -  Page  255 

Dies  Ir/E — 18th  version,     -  Page  259 

The  New  Jerusalem,     -         -         .         -         -  Page  263 

Works   of   Abraham   Coles.      ...  Page  269 

Critics  and  Criticisms,         ....  Page  273 

Richard  Grant  White;  Rev.  Samuel  Irenasus  Prime,  D.  D. ;  Win. 
Cullen  Bryant;  James  Russell  Lowell;  "Christian  Quarterly  Re- 
view;" "The  Boston  Transcript;"  Lady  Jane  Franklin;  William 
C.  Prime;  Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.;  "The  Republican,"  Spring- 
field;   George   Ripley,    the   New   York    "Tribune;"    Rev.    James 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

McCosh,  D.  D.;  Hon.  Richard  Stockton  Field;  Newark  "Adver- 
tiser;" Edmund  C.  Stedman;  Rev.  Robert  Turnbull,  D.  D.;  John 
G.  Whittier;  Rev.  S.  I.  Prime,  D.  D.;  George  Ripley,  New  York 
"Tribune;"  Rev.  James  McCosh,  D.  D. 

Gov.  Daniel  Haines;  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.  D. ;  Rev. 
Charles  Hodge,  D.  D.;  Hon.  Frederick  Theodore  Frelinghuysen; 
Prof.  Robert  Lowell,  D.  D. ;  Prof.  Stephen  Alexander;  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes;  William  Cullen  Bryant;  Chancellor  Henry  Wood- 
hull  Green;  Charles  H.  Spurgeon. 

Hon.  William  Earl  Dodge;  Thomas  Gordon  Hake,  M.  D.;  New 
York  "Observer;"  the  New  York  "Times;"  "The  Critic;"  John 
Y.  Foster;  Hon.  Justin  McCarthy;  the  "  Examiner  and  Chronicle;" 
Hon.  Horace  N.  Congar;  Rev.  William  Hague,  D.  D.;  Newark 
"Advertiser;"  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman;  Rev.  A.  S.  Patton, 
D.  D.;  Hon.  Joseph  P.  Bradley;  John  G.  Whittier. 

The  Rt.  Hon.  John  Bright,  M.  P.;  Rev.  H.  G.  Weston,  D.  D. ; 
Rev.  Horatius  Bonar,  D.  D.;  Rev.  Alexander  McLaren,  D.  D.; 
Adele  M.  Fielde;  Elizabeth  C.  Kinney;  "The  Book  Buyer," 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons;  Rev.  Theodore  L.  Cuyler,  D.  D.;  the  New 
York  "Tribune;"  Rev.  Frederic  W.  Farrar,  D.  D.,  F.  R.  S. ;  Rev. 
A.  H.  Tuttle,  D.  D.;  Rev.  Charles  S.  Robinson,  D.  D.;  Hon. 
George  Hay  Stuart;  Rev.  D.  R.  Frazer,  D.  D. ;  Charles  M.  Davis; 
Rev.  A.  H.  Lewis,  D.  D.;  S.  W.  Kershaw,  F.  S.  A.;  J.  K.  Hoyt; 
Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.  D. ;  Rev.  Lewis  R.  Dunn,  D.  D.; 
Rev.  Asahel  C.  Kendrick,  D.  D.;  George  MacDonald;  Rev.  Philip 
Schaff,  D.  D. 


ILLUSTRATIONS.* 

Steel   Engraving   of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles, 

by  Alexander  Hay  Ritchie,     -         -  Frontispiece 

Deerhurst, 

Residence,  viewed  from  the  West,        -         -  Page  i 

The  Front  Lawn,  -  Page  7 

Showing  the  Centennial  (1876)  marble  Italian  Vase,  the  Maiden- 
hair (gingko)  and  beech-tent  trees,  etc. 

Some  of  the  Deer — The  Young  Hunters,         Page  8 

Fac-simile  Plan  of  the  Hampton  Court  Labyrinth, 
near  London,      --._._    Page  20 

In  front  of  the  entrance,  Euterpe,  an  imported  copy  of  the 
original  antique  statue  in  the  Berlin  Museum. 

The  Flower  Garden,     -  -  Page  50 

The  Library,        ---.._         Page  55 
The  Drawing  Room,        ....         -   Page  77 

Showing  portion  of  the  marble  copy  of  the  Warwick  Vase;  bust 
of  Walter  Scott;   the  marble  statue  of  "  The  Village  Blacksmith,"  by 

*  The  illustrations,  with  the  exception  of  the  steel  engraving  and  the  view  of 
the  deer,  were  photographed  by  Mr.  Edward  Bierstadt  himself,  he,  as  a  friend, 
having  visited  Deerhurst  for  the  purpose.  His  picture  of  the  flower  garden 
has  received  particular  praise  from  those  acquainted  with  the  Science  and  Art 
of  Photography. 


Xvi  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Shakspere  Wood,   Rome,  1864;    the   marble  bust  of  "Charity,"  by- 
Hiram  Powers,  and  in  the  centre  "Deborah,"  by  Lombardi. 

The  bust  of  Scott,  of  the  purest  white  marble,  was  purchased  of 
Sypher  &  Co.,  New  York,  and  is  an  exact  fac-simile  of  the  one  at 
Abbotsford.  John  Gibson  Lockhart  says  that  "  this  bust  (by  Sir 
Francis  Chantrey)  alone  preserves  for  posterity  the  cast  of  expres- 
sion most  fondly  remembered  by  all  who  ever  mingled  in  his 
domestic  circle.  *  *  *  *  Sir  Francis  Chantrey  presented  the 
original  bust  to  Sir  Walter  himself,  by  whose  remotest  descendants 
it  will  undoubtedly  be  held  in  additional  honor  on  that  account. 
The  poet  had  the  further  gratification  of  learning  that  three 
copies  were  executed  in  marble  before  the  original  quitted  the 
studio — one  for  Windsor  Castle,  a  second  for  Apsley  House,  and  a 
third  for  the  friendly  sculptor's  own  private  collection." 

Portions  of  Drawing  Room  and  Main  Hall,  Page  146 

Showing  on  the  left  the  marble  bust  of  "  Charity,"  by  Hiram 
Powers;  and  "St.  Paul,  by  Barbee,  a  bas-relief  marble  copy  of  an 
antique  medallion."  In  the  right-hand  corner  is  the  life-size  bronze 
bust  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  signed  "Houdon,  1778."  It  was  pur- 
chased of  Sypher  &  Co.,  New  York,  whose  agent  obtained  it  in 
Paris.  Further  to  the  right  are  seen  the  marble  bust  of  "Eve," 
by  Hiram  Powers,  and  the  marble  copy  of  the  Warwick  Vase.  In 
the  centre  of  the  room  is  "  Deborah,"  that  "great  dame  of  Lapi- 
doth,"  as  Tennyson  calls  her,  midler  splendorum,  i.  e.,  one  divinely 
illuminated.  It  was  executed  at  Rome  in  1875  by  the  distinguished 
sculptor,  Lombardi,*  and  constitutes  his  masterpiece.  She  is  made 
life-siz^,  of  the  purest  white  marble;  stands  on  a  storied  pedestal 
with  explanatory  scenes  carved  in  bas-relief,  having  the  left  breast 

*In  the  Sculpture  Department  of  Art,  International  Exhibition,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  U.  S.  A.,  1876,  an  object  of  admiration  and  interest  was  Lombardi's  beautiful 
marble  group  representing  a  mother-hen  with  her  brood  of  little  chickens,  aptly- 
illustrative  of  Matthew  xxiii :  37. 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS.  xvii 

uncovered  and  right  arm  uplifted;  a  beautiful  and  serious  face, 
expressive  of  the  loftiest  enthusiasm  and  the  sacred  inspiration 
of  prophetic  passion;  open  lips  that  need  not  voice  to  thrill 
us  with  the  fiery  recital  of  that  grandest  of  epinician  odes,  the 
"Song  of  Deborah,"  recorded  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  the  Book 
of  Judges,  in  which  is  commemorated  the  wonderful  victory 
of  a  small  portion  of  her  people  over  Sisera,  the  Captain  of 
the  Canaanitish  host,  and  the  deliverance  of  all  Israel  from 
twenty  years'  servitude — the  whole  achieved  mainly  by  the 
high  courage  and  heroic  instigation  of  this  noble  woman,  who 
was  essentially  a  vates,  combining  the  functions  of  poetry  and 
prophecy.  On  this  glorious  triumphal  ode  much  has  been  written, 
and  there  are  separate  treatises  about  it.  All  agree  in  regarding  it 
as  a  magnificent  specimen  of  primitive  Hebrew  poetry.  The  artist 
was  fortunate  in  his  subject.  But  to  justify  his  choice  he  would 
need  to  have  the  consciousness  of  powers  equal  to  it.  No  doubt  it 
was  a  bold  attempt  to  carve  breath,  to  make  marble  alive  and 
splendidly  lyrical,  to  perpetuate  a  speaking  rapture — in  other 
words,  to  produce  a  "Deborah"  in  stone,  which  should  not  be 
unworthy  of  the  historic  reality.  This,  judges  and  critics  think  he 
has  done. 

The  Last  Hours  of  Mozart  -  -  Page  258 

From  a  photograph  of  the  original  painting  by  Kaulbach. 

Amelia  Gere  Mason,  in  "The  Century  Magazine,"  (Dec,  1S91), 
says:  "Mozart,  in  his  last  letter  to  a  friend,  wrote, 'I  regard  the  future 
without  fear  or  terror.  I  feel  that  my  hour  is  about  to  strike.  I 
touch  the  limits  of  my  life.  I  am  going  to  die  before  having  enjoyed 
the  fruits  of  my  talent.  *  *  *  It  will  be  as  it  pleases  God;  as 
for  myself,  I  must  finish  my  funeral  hymn.  *  *  *  'Ah!  Sophie,' 
he  said  to  his  sister-in-law,  whom  he  had  thoughtfully  asked  to  stay 
with  Constance  (his  wife)  the  last  night  of  his  life,  'did  I  not  tell  you 
that  I  was  writing  the  Requiem  for  my  own  funeral  ?  '     A  few  hours 


xviii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

before  the  end  he  joined  the  friends  in  singing  the  parts  already- 
finished,  and  died  with  the  score  beside  him.'  'As  death,  taken  all 
in  all,  is  the  true  end  of  life,'  he  said  in  his  last  letter  to  his  father 
four  years  before,  'I  have  grown  so  familiar  for  a  couple  of  years 
with  this  real  and  devoted  friend,  that  its  aspect,  far  from  inspiring 
me  with  terror  and  fear,  offers  me  only  consoling  thoughts  and 
sweet  hopes.  I  thank  God  for  having  accorded  to  me  the  favor  of 
looking  upon  it  as  the  key  to  our  veritable  beatitude.'      *     *     * 

"In  one  corner  of  the  cemetery  of  St.  Marx  (Vienna)  stands  to- 
day a  solitary  monument.  A  pedestal  of  gray  granite  is  surmounted 
by  the  bronze  figure  of  a  Muse  sitting  upon  a  pile  of  books  bearing 
the  names  of  Mozart's  principal  works.  In  her  left  hand  she  holds 
a  harp,  which  rests  upon  a  wreath  of  laurel  hung  carelessly  over  the 
books,  while  the  right  hand  grasps  the  score  of  'Dies  Irse.'  The 
head  droops  in  pity,  and  the  face  is  unutterably  sad.  The  four 
corners  of  the  base  bear  each  a  candelabrum  twined  with  laurel. 
The  front  of  the  pedestal  has  a  bronze  relief  of  the  composer,  and 
the  rear  a  wreathed  harp.  On  one  side  is  written  'Wolfgang 
Amadeus  Mozart,  born  January  27,  1756;  died,  December  5,  1791.' 
Nearly  seventy  years  after  his  death  this  tardy  tribute  was  erected 
over  his  supposed  burial-place." 


SUBJECTS    DISCUSSED     AT     THE    GENERAL 

CHRISTIAN  CONFERENCES    OF  THE 

WORLD'S  ALLIANCE. 


The  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in  his  people,  he  will  beautify  the  meek  with  salva- 
tion.— Psalms  cxlix  :  4, 
Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth.— Matthew  v:j. 


rpHE  meek  of  every  name  may  boast 
The  adoption  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
And  lift  an  unpresuming  eye 
To  God,  and  Abba,  Father,  cry. 
Therefore  by  Church  be  understood 
A  high  and  holy  brotherhood. 

In  faithful  league  let  all  unite, 

And  serve  the  Lord  with  all  their  might  ! 

Compared  with  love  count  names  but  dross  ! 

Drawn  by  th'  attraction  of  the  Cross, 

In  peaceful  circles  round  it  run 

Like  planets  moving  round  the  sun  ! 


THE    SHEPHERD   OF   THE    NATIONS. 

T  SING  the  Shepherd  of  the  sheep, 
Who  saw,  in  times  of  old, 
Of  all  the  worlds  that  roam  the  deep, 
One  wanderer  from  the  fold. 

I   sing  the  love,  so  strange,  so  sweet, 

That  sought  until  it  found; 
With  aching  heart  and  bleeding  feet 

And  tears  that  wet  the  ground. 

I  sing  the  goodness  of  our  God; 

The  patience  and  the  grace; 
That  left  no  dreadful  path  untrod 

To  save  the  human  race. 

The  Shepherd  of  the  nations,  He 
His  gathered  flock  shall   guide — 

The  travail  of  His  soul  shall  see 
And  shall  be  satisfied. 


THE    MESSIAH 


"Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given  :  and  the  government  shal  be 
upon  his  shoulder;  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful.  Counsellor,  The 
Mighty  God,  The  Everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace."— Isaiah  ix:  6. 


/~\   MOST  illustrious  of  the  days  of  time  ! 

Day  full  of  joy  and  benison  to  earth, 
When  Thou  wast  born,  sweet  babe  of  Bethlehem  ! 
With  dazzling  pomp  descending,  angels  sung 
Good  will  and  peace  to  men,  to  God  due  praise, 
Who  on  the  errand  of  salvation  sent 
Thee,  Son  Beloved  !  of  plural  Unity 
Essential  part,  made  flesh  that  mad'st  all  worlds. 

Ay,  well  and  gloriously  didst  Thou  achieve 
Thy  god-like  mission,  both  by  life  and  death. 
Light  broke  upon  the  nations;  at  Thy  word 
Roused  from  the  sleep  of  ages.     Truths  long  lost, 
Man's  immortality  and  higher  life, 
The  unity  and  fatherhood  of  God, 
The  splendid  verities  of  Christian  Faith, 
Ran  swiftly  and  were  glorified  in  every  land. 


THE  MESSIAH.  xxiii 

Thy  Universal  Empire,  whose  sole  law 
Is  Love,  rose  silently,  and  without  violence 
Freeing  from  old  oppression.     Ne'er  till  them 
Did  man  know  aught  of  Freedom,  or  could  know. 
The  sensual  and  depraved  are  slaves  perforce. 
The  free  of  soul,  the  pure,  the  sanctified, 
Alone  are  free,  the  Freemen  of  the  Lord, — 
True  King  of  Christendom,  whose  gracious  sway, 
None  shares. 

****** 

"  One  is  your  Master,"  saith  our  Head,  "even  Christ, 
And  there  results  to  you  equality 
Of  brotherhood.     Humility  is  rank; 
The  least  is  greatest  and  the  greatest  least." 


BREATH  OF  LIFE,  NATURAL  AND  SPIRITUAL. 

[from  "the  microcosm."] 

/^\  OD  breathed,  O  breath  with  heavenly  sweetness  rife  ! 
Into  man's  nostrils  first  the  breath  of  life. 
The  blissful  aura  vivified  the  whole, 
And  straightway  man  became  a  living  soul. 
Then  odorous  Eden  yet  more  odorous  grew, 
As  o'er  its  bowers,  th'  informing  spirit  blew 
Another  inner  and  diviner  air, 
Moving  within  the  proper  atmosphere, 
That  shook  the  leaves  and  made  the  tree-tops  nod, 
A  mystic  wind  immediately  from  God, — 
Rushing  and  mighty  like  the  Holy  Ghost 

Poured  out  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

Still  the  same  Spirit  where  it  lists  it  blows, 

We  know  not  whence  it  comes  nor  where  it  goes, 

But  souls  it  quickened  on  Creation's  morn, 

Now  dead  in  sin  to  a  new  life  are  born  : 

One  inspiration  of  immortal  breath 

Creates  a  life  beneath  the  ribs  of  death. 


THEOPNEUSTY. 

[from  "the  microcosm."] 

r\  VIA  SACRA,  O  thrice  blessed  door, 

Once  hallowed  with  Thy  presence,  hallow,  Lord  ! 
once  more. 
Imbreathe  Thyself,  my  Maker  !  fill  each  cell 
Of  my  deep  breast,  and  deign  with  me  to  dwell. 
Come,  my  Desire  !     Thou  theme  of  heavenly  tongues, 
Fulfill  the  want  and  hunger  of  the  lungs. 
Be  Thou  my  breath,  my  laughter,  my  delight, 
My  song  by  day,  my  murmured  dream  by  night. 
When  hope  dilates,  and  love  my  bosom  warms, 
Be  these  the  product  of  Thy  powerful  charms. 
If  grief  convulses,  be  it  grief  for  sin, 
Prompt  every  sigh  and  make  me  pure  within; 
Perfumed  by  Thee  "  make  every  breath  a  spice 
And  each  religious  act  a  sacrifice." 


GOD     IN     NATURE. 

[FROM   "  COSMOS."] 

rpO  see  with  eyes  of  wonder,  and  with  heart 

Of  worship,  God,  in  all— the  Mystery, 
That  renders  sacred  most  familiar  things — 
With  priestly  ministrations  here  to  stand 
In  the  grand  Temple  of  the  Universe, 
Voicing  the  praises  of  all  creatures  mute, 
This  is  Religion,  and  for  this  alone 
Was  man  created  sovereign  of  the  world. 

Yea!  all  things  are  of  God.     This  infinite 
And  unimaginable  Universe, 
Built  up  of  atoms,  hath  no  other  Cause, 
No  other  Father.     His  utterable  Will 
Is  the  foundation  on  which  Nature  rests. 
God  underlieth  every  meanest  grain; 
There,  even  there,  is  His  omnipotence 
And  love  and  wisdom,  else  it  could  not  be. 


MORNING     HYMN. 

STANZAS    2,    8    AND    9. 
[FROM    "  COSMOS."] 

T  OWLY  in  attitude, 
Musical  gratitude 
Fain  would  I  pour  to  Thee  fervent  and  sweet  — 

Thank  Thee  in  verity, 

Bless  in  sincerity, 
Wonder,  and  worship,  and  wait  at  Thy  feet. 

Type  of  Divinity  ! 

Over  infinity 
Throwing  a  mantle  of  beauty  and  light; 

Life  of  the  perishing, 

Cheering  and  cherishing, 
Blazon  His  goodness  and  wisdom  and  might! 

Earth  !   in  simplicity, 

Sing  thy  felicity, 
Bosomed  in  azure,  and  bride  of  the  sky; 

Favored  and  beautiful, 

No  more  undutiful, 
Low  at  His  footstool  contentedly  lie  ! 


THE   UNSEARCHABLE   RICHES   OF   CHRIST. 

Ephesians  hi  :  8. 

f~\  THE  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ! 

Wondrous,  mysterious  treasure, 
Riches  of  wisdom  past  finding  out, 
Riches  of  grace  without  measure. 

O  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ! 

Riches  of  love  and  salvation, 
Riches  of  glory  unspeakably  bright, 

Shaming  the  starry  creation. 

O  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ! 

Price  of  an  infinite  pardon, 
Payment  in  full  of  the  debt  of  the  race, 

Forfeit  incurred   in  the  garden. 

O  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ! 

Title  to  all  things  possessing, 
Worthy  the  Lamb,  let  us  sing,  to  receive, 

Riches  and  honor  and  blessing. 

— From  '■'The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems.' 


THE     BIBLE. 

The  Bible  is  a  venerable  book.  Most  venerable.  For  four 
thousand  years  as  a  part  or  a  whole  it  has  been  "  a  road  through  the 
abyss  of  time,"  upon  which  men  have  walked  as  if  it  were  solid 
pavement.  It  is  the  only  bridge  spanning  the  gulf,  buttressed,  and 
upheld  by  divine  veracity.  Beneath  it  hell  yawns.  Faith  goes  up 
upon  it,  singing.  Rainbows  of  Hope  and  Promise  hover  over  it. 
Everlasting  Joy  and  Blessedness  beckon  at  the  end.  There  always 
is  light  when  everywhere  else  is  darkness;  ever  and  anon  God's 
smile  breaking  through;  death  itself  no  longer  dreadful — 

"Only  a  gray  eve  'tween  two  shining  days;" 

a  comma  betwixt  this  and  that,  betwixt  two  existences,  yet  one, 
betwixt  time  and  eternity,  betwixt  earth  and  heaven.  Receiving  it 
as  God's  Gift-Book,  Keepsake,  Souvenir;  how  delightful  to  turn  its 
pages,  filled  with  testimonies  of  His  love,  odorous  with  His  breath, 
musical  with  His  voice  !      *     *     *     * 


THE   FATHERHOOD   OF   GOD. 

I  am  affected  by  the  spirit  of  the  time.  But  I  am  faithful  to  my 
allegiance  to  the  Bible.  It  is  that  or  nothing.  Nothing  but  that 
speaks  with  authority,  or  throws  any  light  upon  man's  des- 
tiny. Science  is  a  fool  when  it  discusses  origins,  or  treats 
of  the  mysteries  of  the  beyond.  My  creed  is  born,  as  I 
suppose  most  others  to  be,  of  a  felt  need.  An  atoning  Saviour 
meets   that   need   as   nothing    else    does.      I    feel    myself    guilty, 


xxx  REASON  AND  FAITH. 

and  that  provides  pardon.  God  is  love.  The  highest  proof 
of  it  is  He  gives  His  Son,  and  He  gives  us  the  spirit  of  adoption 
whereby,  with  yearning  affection,  we  cry,  Abba  Father.  Agnosti- 
cism gives  us  assurance  of  nothing.  It  makes  the  dark  darker. 
Better  not  to  live  at  all  than  to  live  in  doubt  and  ignorance.  Exist- 
ence in  that  case  would  be  insupportable.  An  eternity  of  existence 
would  be  an  eternity  of  misery,  realizing  Buddhist  hells  innumer- 
able, from  which  there  is  no  escape  save  in  annihilation.  The 
Lord's  Prayer  alone  is  worth  a  thousand  times  all  the  literatures  of 
the  world.  It  is  suited  to  all  extremities  and  all  needs.  The  first 
word  is  a  sunburst  fraught  with  all  comfort — "Our  Father."  We 
who  are  fathers  know  somewhat  what  the  name  of  Father  implies. 
If  it  expresses  in  us  an  unutterable  tenderness,  how  much  more  in 
the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  *        *        * 


REASON  AND  FAITH. 
The  claims  of  Faith  divorced  from  Reason  and  pushed  too  far 
naturally  give  rise  to  rationalistic  reactions  of  an  infidel  character. 
An  attempt  to  separate  the  two,  to  set  one  over  against  the  other, 
as  if  they  were  antagonistic,  cannot  be  otherwise  than  injurious  to 
the  cause  of  true  religion  and  favorable  to  scepticism.  *  *  *  * 
Let  us  be  willing  to  accept  the  Bible  as  it  is,  believing  that  all 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for 
doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  instruction  in  righteousness;  that  holy  men 
spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost;  that  apostles  were 
ordained  and  set  apart  by  a  special  consecration  to  make  known  the 
way  of  life  and  salvation  to  men.  *  *  *  *  The  declaration  that 
"  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish  but  have  everlasting 
life,"  is  worth  more  to  us  than  all  other  knowledge.  Let  us  cling  to 
that!        *        *        *        * 


CHRIST   SUITED    TO   ALL   CHARACTERS. 

I  think  as  we  grow  older  our  love  of  speculation  diminishes,  and 
we  are  more  inclined  to  return  to  the  childlike  and  simple,  and 
make  our  Christology  more  trustful  than  curious.  The  titular  and 
personal  Christ  is  many-sided,  and  suited  to  all  characters.  The 
question,  What  think  ye  of  Christ?  whose  Son  is  He?  is  addressed 
less  to  the  speculative  intellect,  than  to  the  inquiring  heart  amid  its 
tossing  disquietudes,  seeking  rest  and  finding  none.  My  needs  I 
feel  to  be  manifold  and  unutterable,  and  when  I  pray  acocrding  to 
the  divine  formula,  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,"  I  intend  an 
appeal  to  the  Infinite  Helper  for  infinite  help  such  as  my  case 
requires;  and  I  give  reverent  welcome  and  entertainment  to  the 
gracious  invitation,  "Come  unto  Me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest,"  as  divinely  authoritative — a 
veritable  "voice  from  heaven"  (bath-kol),  with  a  power  and  a 
mission  to  comfort  and  save  to  the  uttermost.         *        *        *        * 


THE  UNITY   OF  THE   ORIGIN    OF  MANKIND. 

To  pretend  that  the  Bible  is  silent,  and  bears  no  testimony  on 
the  subject  of  man's  origin,  is  absurd;  nay  more,  it  is  dishonest. 
Everybody  knows  or  ought  to  know  better.  Or  to  say,  as  some  are 
fond  of  doing,  that  being  an  affair  of  science,  its  testimony  thereon 
is  of  no  value,  is  manifestly  both  foolish  and  impious.  What  Reve- 
lation formally  and  expressly  teaches  must  be  true,  no  matter  what 
the  subject.  It  does  not  teach  astronomy,  because  this  does  not 
properly  fall  within  its  purview  or  purpose.     But  it  does  teach  the 


xxxii  THE   ORIGIN  OF  MANKIND. 

creation  of  man,  because  it  has  to  do  with  man;  is  anthropological 
in  its  whole  scope  and  design.  It  begins  at  the  beginning;  shows 
the  tree  of  human  existence  at  its  first  planting;  shows  it  to  have 
been  one,  and  that  all  its  boughs  and  branches,  stretching  through 
all  lands  and  all  times,  proceeded  from  a  single  trunk.  This 
common  origin  of  mankind  is  not  doubtfully  set  forth  in  a  few 
isolated  texts.  It  is  declared  or  implied  in  every  sentence,  in  every 
word  of  the  sacred  record.  It  underlies  the  whole  superstructure. 
Take  it  away,  and  it  disjoints  and  dislocates  everything.  It  is 
"chaos  come  again."  For  human  unity  is  something  more  than  a 
dead  fact;  it  is  a  vital  truth,  out  of  which  grow  fundamental  doc- 
trines. Therefore  we  say  if  the  Bible  be  true,  the  question  is  settled; 
and  to  the  guesses  of  science  there  comes  this  crowning  and  con- 
clusive certainty.  *  *  *  *  We  are  unable  to  conceive  of  the 
Creator  as  sitting  behind  His  works  as  a  passive  spectator — having, 
a  long  time  ago,  as  some  one  remarks,  wound  up  the  great  machine 
of  the  universe,  and  left  Himself  nothing  further  to  do  but  to  find 
amusement  in  seeing  it  go.  If  a  sparrow  falls  not  to  the  ground 
without  His  notice,  and  the  hairs  of  our  head  are  all  numbered,  why 
is  it  absurd  to  suppose  that  at  the  time  of  the  dispersion  at  Babel, 
following  the  confusion  of  tongues,  when  under  an  irresistible 
impulse  towards  emigration,  the  people  were  scattered  abroad  over 
the  whole  earth,  the  Hand  of  God  went  with  them,  and  impressed 
upon  the  plastic  nature  of  man,  then  in  the  infancy  of  his  being, 
such  changes  as  were  fitted  to  accommodate  him  more  speedily  and 
kindly  to  his  new  position,  mediately  or  immediately,  as  )ou  please, 
either  supposition  being  warrantable?     *         *         *         * 


THE   SOVEREIGNTY   OF  MAN. 

It  was  intended  that  the  relations  between  man  and  nature 
should  be  those  of  sovereign  and  subject.  It  was  by  express 
appointment  that  all  things  were  put  under  him.  That  the  suprem- 
acy has  not  been  fully  asserted  is  no  fault  of  Nature.  She  is  not 
unwilling.  She  is  loyal  to  her  very  core.  She  delights  in  obedi- 
ence. We  are  only  beginning  to  learn  the  rich  possibilities  of  her 
service.  For  the  past  fifty  years  we  have  been  going  on  from 
wonder  to  wonder.  It  is  becoming  increasingly  difficult  to  say 
where  the  natural  ends  and  the  supernatural  begins.  The  modus 
operandi  of  a  miracle  is  unknown  to  us.  How  did  Christ  work 
miracles  ?  Was  it  by  virtue  of  a  divine  power  inherent  in  Him  and 
peculiar  to  Him?  Possibly.  But  is  it  not  conceivable  that,  know- 
ing Nature  and  believing  in  her,  He  had  command  of  her  infinite 
resources?  All  knowledge  is  free — divine  and  human.  Nature 
says,  Come  !  Christ  says,  Come  !  What  future  miracles  will  be 
wrought  as  the  result  of  the  twofold  welcome  remains  to  be  seen. 
We  come  up  close  to  the  borders  of  the  Spirit  land.     *     *     *     * 


CHRISTIAN     LEGISLATION. 

From   a  letter  to  the  late  Hon.  Joseph   P.  Bradley,  LL.  £>.,  one  of  the 
Justices  of  the   Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

Permit  me  to  thank  you  for  sending  me  your  admirable  bro- 
chure on  "Law:  Its  Nature  and  Effects  as  the  Bond  and  Basis  of 
Society."  It  seems  to  me  to  be  a  very  luminous  and  instructive 
survey,  freeing  the  subject  of  much  confusion  and  ambiguity.     You 


xxxiv  CHRISTIAN  LEGISI.A  TION. 

may  remember  that  I  studied  law  six  months  under  your  honored 
father-in-law,  Judge  Hornblower,  deceased,  during  which  time  I 
read  with  considerable  attention  Blackstone,  and  Kent's  Commen- 
taries. That  was  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  and  while  it  did 
not  make  me  a  lawyer,  it  gave  me  some  taste  for  legal  studies.  I 
have  never  regretted  the  time  thus  spent.  In  reading  your  pam- 
phlet, I  feel  more  than  ever,  how  much  I  owe  to  the  laws  estab- 
lished, and  how  thankful  I  ought  to  be  that  I  live  under  their 
protection.  How  safe  it  makes  me  !  far  more  than  an  armed 
guard  at  my  door  ! 

To  the  loyal  and  obedient,  Law  is  paternal  and  benign.  It  is 
a  shield  and  a  high  tower.  But  not  so  to  its  violators.  To  them  it 
wears  a  changed  aspect,  full  of  dreadful  menace.  To  the  end  that 
it  may  appear  to  all  that  it  bears  not  the  sword  in  vain,  it  is  not 
slow  nor  slack  to  punish.  It  arrests,  and  brooks  no  resistance. 
It  consigns  to  dungeons.  It  hangs  upon  the  gallows.  Can  it  be 
that  this  is  the  selfsame  power  that  one  moment  before  the  crime 
was  committed,  was  firmly  and  solemnly  pledged  for  the  felon's 
safe-keeping,  protesting  that  not  a  hair  of  his  head  should  be 
injured?  Even  so.  The  Law  stands  upright,  but  the  transgressor 
holds  towards  it  an  inverted  position,  and,  by  virtue  of  this  inver- 
tion,  he  is  emptied  of  all  his  rights  under  the  law. 

You  make  it  very  plain  that  the  Law  is  not  simply  preceptive:  that 
Law,  to  be  Law,  pre-supposes  a  power  and  an  authority  behind  it, 
pledged  inevitably,  if  need  be,  to  a  physical  enforcement;  in  other 
words,  it  is  a  command  backed  by  penalty  constituting  its  sanction. 
You  are  clearly  right,  therefore,  in  saying  that  Blackstone's  defini- 
tion, quod  hoc,  is  defective.  Whether,  moreover,  in  seeking  to  find 
an  analogy  between  the  laws  of  nature,  and  municipal  laws,  he  does 
not  paralogize,  may  perhaps  be  questioned.  Is  the  law  of  gravity  a 
command?  and   do  I   incur  the  guilt  of  disobedience  if  I  make  a 


CHRISTIAN  LEGISLATION.  XXXV 

,leap  in  the  air?  Metaphorically,  it  may  be  true  that  I  am  com- 
manded not  to  leap  down  a  precipice,  and  not  to  drink  poison.  But 
still,  it  would  seem  that  there  is  a  difference.  May  it  not  have 
happened  that  on  a  fanciful  and  fallacious  analogy  of  this  kind  was 
based  the  old  English  law  of  inheritance,  whereby  an  estate  belong- 
ing to  a  deceased  intestate  was  made  to  descend,  gravitation  wise, 
to  his  uncle  or  aunt,  to  the  exclusion  of  his  father  or  other  lineal 
ancestor:  "Descendit  itaque  jus  quasi  ponderostim  quid  cadens  deorsum 
recta  linea  vil  transversati  et  nunquam  reascendit  ea  via  qua  descendit." 

The  word/«j  labors  under  the  disadvantage  of  being  equivocal, 
bifurcating  into  two  senses,  meaning  sometimes  right  and  some- 
times laze;,  which  are  not,  we  are  accustomed  to  think,  always  the 
same  thing.  But  if  Law  be,  as  you  nobly  conceive  it,  a  synonym  of 
Justice,  then  indeed  jus  may  be  allowed  to  stand  as  a  pregnant  and 
true  representative  at  once  of  the  ideal  and  the  actual,  the  abstract 
and  the  concrete.  In  that  case,  it  would  follow  that  a  bad  law  is  no 
law.  It  is  like  a  bad  Christian,  a  solecism  and  a  contradiction  in 
terms — a  temporary  excrescence  on  the  body  politic,  and  no  true 
part  of  it — to  be  borne  with,  it  may  be,  but  only  until  it  can  be 
formally  rescinded;  or,  if  its  unjust  character  be  flagrant  and  sub- 
versive of  fundamental  law,  set  aside  as  of  no  authority.  Thus 
viewed,  no  doubt,  Law  is  a  majestic  thing,  whose  seat  is,  as  Hooker 
puts  it,  "the  bosom  of  God,  her  voice  the  harmony  of  the 
world,"  etc. 

Just  laws  have  an  intrinsic  authority,  and  so  have  a  moral  and 
spiritual  enforcement,  independent  of  that  which  the  State  supplies. 
But  the  civil  law,  as  it  has  only  lately  come  to  be  understood,  is  legit- 
imately confined  to  the  outward  and  the  visible.  It  lies,  to  be  sure, 
within  the  domain  of  conscience,  but  does  not  circumscribe  it.  It 
is  an  imperium  in  imperio.  It  has  been  wisely  said  that  "where  the 
Law  ends.   Tyranny  begins,"  but  it  may  be  said  with  equal  truth  that 


XXXvi  CHRISTIAN    LEGISLATION. 

there  Liberty  begins.  Having  rendered  unto  Caesar  the  things  that 
are  Caesar's,  Conscience  is  free.  There  is  no  form  of  despotism  so 
detestable  as  Spiritual  Despotism.     *     *     *     * 

Nevertheless,  the  State  cannot  afford  to  do  without  the  supports 
of  religion.  Reverence  for  law  is  indissolubly  interwoven  with 
reverence  for  God.  Law  divorced  from  the  sanctities  of  religious 
belief  is  little  better  than  a  horse-whip.  It  may  excite  terror,  and 
so  far  as  that  restrains,  it  may  restrain,  but  that  is  about  all.  How 
is  it  with  us?  Am  I  not  right  in  affirming  that  the  State,  although 
it  does  not  formulate  its  faith,  is  distinctively  Christian,  not  Pagan, 
not  Mohammetan,  not  atheistic,  not  agnostic — however  it  may 
tolerate  Pagans,  Mohammetans,  Atheists  and  Agnostics — all  alike 
being  admitted  to  the  immunities  of  citizenship,  and  subjected  to 
no  disabilities  on  account  of  their  peculiar  religious  belief.  This  is 
as  it  should  be. 

But  I  believe,  with  Daniel  Webster,  that  Christianity,  general, 
tolerant  Christianity,  is  a  part  of  the  law  of  the  land.  The  State 
accepts  the  Decalogue  and  builds  upon  it.  As  Right  presupposes 
a  standard,  it  assumes  that  this  is  such  a  standard,  divinely  given, 
and  accepted  by  all  Christendom;  that  it  underlies  all  civil  society, 
is  the  foundation  of  the  foundation,  is  lower  than  ail  and  higher 
than  all;  commends  itself  to  reason;  speaks  with  authority  to  the 
Conscience,  vindicates  itself  in  all  government,  giving  it  stability 
and  exalting  it  in  righteousness;  guarantees  equities;  and  pro- 
claimed liberty,  equality  and  fraternity  ages  before  socialism 
dreamed  it,  and  knew  of  no  other  way  of  effecting  it  but  by 
pulling  down  with  bloody  hands,  without  any  power  to  build  up. 
While  the  State  is  theoretically,  at  least,  "  Broad  based  upon  the 
people's  will,"  God  forbid  that  it  should  therefore  follow  that  our 
whole  system  of  laws  is  at  the  mercy  or  whim  of  a  rowdy  majority. 
Suppose  it  were  given  out  that  there  would  be  on  a  particular  day  a 


CHRISTIAN   LEGISLATION.  xxxvii 

grand  game  of  tenpins,  the  pins  being  the  Ten  Commandments. 
All  the  b'hoys  would  be  sure  to  be  on  hand.  Bowling  Tom  hits  it 
at  the  first  throw,  and  bowling  Dick  the  same,  and  bowling  Harry 
the  same.  Give  these  fellows  any  sort  of  a  chance,  and  they  will 
topple  over  the  whole  Decalogue  for  you  in  no  time.     *        *         * 

Do  you  not  think  there  is  danger  that  men's  respect  for  Law 
will  be  impaired  by  the  practice  of  measuring  the  infinities  of 
justice  and  right  with  the  uncertain  yardstick  of  an  accidental 
majority?  Who  are  our  legislators?  Laws  passed  by  a  large 
assembly,  are,  at  best,  apt  to  bear  the  marks  of  a  hasty  and 
tumultuary  origin — incondite  and  imperfect  in  form,  drawn  up  by 
incompetent,  it  may  be,  corrupt  hands.  It  is  fortunate  that  all  our 
laws  do  not  emanate  from  our  legislatures.  Case-law,  proceeding 
from  a  wise  and  learned  judiciary,  is  worthy  of  all  respect — far 
more  so,  I  should  think,  than  statute  law.  And  yet  I  should  not 
wonder  if  some  of  our  judges  gave  undue  weight  sometimes  to  the 
authority  of  precedent,  out  of  a  superstitious  reverence  for  the 
•old  and  patristic,  like  that  paid  by  some  churchmen  to  the  Christian 
fathers.  Your  foot,  I  dare  say,  is  as  good  a  standard  of  measure- 
ment as  the  foot  of  any  Lord  Chancellor  that  ever  wore  ermine. 
Why  not  ?  Common  sense  is  a  thing  of  the  present  as  well  as  of  the 
past.  It  is  a  pity  that  all  do  not  estimate  law  as  you  do,  as  a  sacred 
thing,  a  kind  of  religion.  Law  so  regarded  is  a  spiritual  force, 
related  to  celestial  dynamics. 

I  remember  when  Lincoln's  Emancipation  Proclamation  was 
first  proposed,  some  said  that  it  would  be  a  brutum  fidmen.  I  did 
not  think  so.  I  believed  it  would  be  a  live  thunderbolt,  heaven- 
forged,  swift,  subtle,  far-flaming,  far-reaching,  irresistible,  striking 
to  the  centre;  and  so  it  proved — "Where  the  word  of  a  king  is, 
there  is  power." 

You  knew,  I  dare  say,   the  late  Judge  Joel  Jones,  of  Pennsyl- 


xxxviii  CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION. 

vania.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Millennium  and  the  personal 
reign  of  Christ  upon  the  earth.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  am.  But, 
whereas  the  Atlantic  ocean  has  become,  as  you  say,  a  ferry,  and  all 
walls  of  partition  between  the  nations  are  being  broken  down,  and 
the  whole  world  has  become  a  sort  of  whispering  gallery,  there 
would  seem  to  be  no  good  reason  why  there  should  not  be,  if  not 
now,  eventually  in  the  time  coming,  one  system  of  laws  for  all 
peoples,    and    a    fraternal    recognition    of    the    solidarity    of    the 

ropp         *i*       'K       w       « 


CHRISTIAN     EDUCATION. 

From    an   address   on   Religious   Education    in    its   Relation    to  Public 
Schools  and  Sunday-schools: 

*  *  #  *  The  Church  is  Christ's  school.  Christ  is  the  Master. 
We  who  claim  to  be  His  disciples,  are  we  His  disciples  indeed  ? 
eager  to  listen?  diligent  to  learn?  never  so  happy  as  when  sitting 
at  His  feet?  Are  our  mounting  feet  on  the  rounds  of  the  ladder  of  a 
heavenly  graduation  ?  *  *  *  Docility  becomes  teachers  no  less 
than  scholars.  It  is  their  duty  to  learn  in  order  to  teach  ;  and  by 
diligent  study  of  God's  Word  continue  learning  until  they  become 
workmen  that  need  not  to  be  ashamed.  *  *  *  When  it  pleased 
God  to  reveal  His  Son  in  us,  He  did  it  that  we  might  manifest  Him 
to  others  who  know  Him  not,  by  all  methods  of  teaching  and  holy 
living.  What  a  privilege  !  It  is  as  though  it  were  given  to  human 
hands  to  unbar  the  gates  of  the  morning,  and  let  in  the  day.  And 
truly,  he  does  more  than  this,  who  reveals  to  the  closed  eyes  of  the 
ignorant  the  risen  orb  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  with  healing  in 
his  wings,  irradiating  spiritual  firmaments  and  the  immensity  of 
heavenly  horizons.     *     *     *     * 


CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION.  xxxix 

"Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might  !  " 
Whatever  our  hand  finds — things  that  meet  us  at  home,  in  the 
family,  in  our  every-day  intercourse  with  our  fellow-men,  in  the 
Church  or  in  the  Sunday-school — let  us  do  these,  not  pushing  aside 
and  repelling  these  smaller  duties,  that  crowd  around  us  like  little 
children — things  that  are  already  found  and  present — that  we  may 
go  the  world  over,  hunting  for  some  great  thing  to  do,  something 
which  the  hand  has  not  found,  remote  and  foreign  to  us.  It  is 
wonderful  how  much  can  be  accomplished  by  one  who  considers  the 
kind  of  talent  he  has,  the  sphere  he  moves  in,  and  aims  to  fill  it. 
There  is  a  contagion  of  goodness.  A  fire  kindled  spreads.  A 
handful  of  corn  multiplies  into  waving  harvests.  Let  us  aim  at 
perfection;  seek  to  be  best  in  everything;  the  best  fathers,  the  best 
mothers,  the  best  sons,  the  best  daughters,  the  best  scholars,  the 
best  teachers,  the  best  in  our  several  callings,  and  finally,  in  short, 
the  best  Christians  and  at  the  same  time,  the  humblest.  Let  none 
of  us  imagine  we  have  a  right  to  be  idle  in  a  world  where  everything 
is  moving.  "My  Father  worketh  hitherto  and  I  work,"  saith  our 
great  Exemplar.  He  was  liable  to  weariness  as  well  as  we;  but  He 
was  always  going  about  doing  good.  It  is  a  significant  and  solemn 
fact  that  the  tree  against  which  Christ  sent  forth  the  sentence  was 
not  a  poisonous  tree,  not  an  Upas,  but  a  tree  that  did  nothing.  *     * 

No  doubt,  the  grand  secret  of  efficiency  and  success  is  Love! 
Loving  the  Word,  we  will  love  to  teach  it.  Love  will  make  us 
eloquent.  It  will  make  our  looks  sweet,  our  tones  musical,  our 
words  persuasive.  This  is  what  we  want.  We  want,  to  be  sure, 
faith,  but  that  is  pre-supposed.  Certainly  there  should  be  more 
than  half  belief.  Our  aims  should  be  definite.  What  is  the  object 
we  have  in  view?  Have  we  any  object?  If  not,  then  most  likely 
will  all  our  labor  be  thrown  away.  It  will  be  but  a  repetition  of  the 
feat  of  shooting  at  Nothing  and  hitting  it;  or  the  preposterous  ven- 


xl  CHRISTIAN   EDUCATION. 

ture  of  that  eccentric  seaman,  not  since  heard  from,  who,  leaving 
chart  and  compass  behind,  set  sail  long  ago  for  the  port  of 
Nowhere.  Let  us  have  at  least  the  faith  of  a  Columbus.  He 
believed,  and  his  belief  discovered  America.  He,  with  his  compass 
and  his  eye  fixed  on  the  pole-star,  steered  due  West,  sailing  through 
many  weary  days  and  nights,  onward,  onward,  over  dark  and 
tempestuous  seas  unvisited  before  by  any  ship's  keel;  not  doubting 
that  the  world  he  sought  was  there  somewhere  behind  the  distant 
horizon,  although  he  could  not  see  it.     *     *     *     * 

Religion  is  a  vast  social  matter.  Even  in  its  earthly  relations, 
it  is  the  chief  thing.  Nothing  is  so  vital  as  it.  It  is  at  once  the 
highest  and  the  lowest.  Like  the  granite  which  is  found,  now  deep 
down  below  the  many  strata  of  the  overlying  rocks,  supporting  all 
above  it,  and  then  is  seen  cropping  out  and  towering  in  the  highest 
mountains.  The  State  cannot  afford  to  be  indifferent  to  that  which 
is  the  most  essential  thing  of  all.  If  it  provides  the  means  of 
knowledge,  it  is  in  an  important  sense  in  order  to  this.  For  the  grand 
object  of  knowledge  is  to  make  men  better.  To  make  men  better 
is  to  make  better  citizens.  This  is  what  the  State  aims  at.  If  this 
be  not  gained  nothing  is  gained,  and  the  State  is  without  pay  or 
reward  for  all  its  labor  and  loss.  Its  vast  expenditure  is  mere 
waste,  if  not  something  worse  than  waste.        *     *     *     * 

Knowledge  is  power.  But  dissociated  from  virtue,  it  is  power 
for  evil  rather  than  good.  It  is  a  curse  rather  than  a  blessing. 
Those  who  affirm  that  religious  culture  is  out  of  place  and  not  per- 
missible in  our  Public  Schools,  entirely  misconceive  the  purpose 
for  which  these  schools  were  instituted.  Undoubtedly,  that  purpose 
is  mainly  and  ultimately  moral.  It  is  to  form  the  character.  To 
educate  the  conscience  as  well  as  to  expand  the  intellect.  To 
qualify  for  the  business,  but  still  more  for  the  duties  of  life.  It 
therefore   necessarily  includes  Religion.      Duty  is   nothing  without 


CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION.  xli 

the  compelling  must  of  a  divine  obligation.  A  morality  that  has 
not  religion  for  its  root  is  a  pole  stuck  in  the  ground,  not  a  tree 
bearing  fruit.  The  moral  side  of  man  is,  we  know,  the  divine  side. 
It  fronts  the  infinite.  Thereby  he  is  put  into  indissoluble  relation 
with  laws  other  than  physical,  and  his  well-being  in  time  and 
throughout  eternity,  made  dependent  upon  their  faithful  observ- 
ance.    *     *     *     * 

In  assuming  the  truth  of  Christianity,  we  only  follow  the  State. 
We  assume  no  more  than  she  assumes.  If  we  are  partial  in  assign- 
ing to  the  Bible  a  place  in  our  Public  Schools,  which  we  refuse  to 
the  Koran,  the  State  is  partial  likewise.  In  her  Halls  of  Legisla- 
tion and  in  her  Courts  of  Justice  she  recognizes  one  Divine  Book, 
and  appoints  that  to  be  used  perpetually,  as  a  means  of  giving 
validity  and  solemnity  to  her  acts.  It  appoints  the  formality  of  an 
oath  to  be  taken  on  the  Bible  for  ihe  swearing  of  witnesses;  and 
this  is  the  most  usual  form;  and  this  thing  has  a  further  signifi- 
cance. For  not  only  does  the  State  in  this  appointment  recognize 
the  authority  of  the  Bible,  but  she  virtually  obligates  herself  to 
provide  the  means  of  making  those  whom  she  undertakes  to  educate 
acquainted  with  its  contents.  For,  undeniably,  the  form  employed 
is  no  better  than  a  solemn  mockery,  unless  the  party  upon  whom  it 
is  imposed,  knows  something  of  the  Book,  and  accepts  it  as  divine. 
Consistency  therefore  requires  that  the  reading,  if  not  the  study  of 
the  Bible,  form  a  part  of  the  educational  course  in  our  schools.  At 
the  same  time  it  is  not  pretended  that  we  can  enforce  belief.  A 
regulation  that  makes  the  Bible  a  text-book,  and  the  reverent  read- 
ing of  it  a  daily  duty,  does  not  compel  any  one  to  believe  it.  The 
mind  is  necessarily  free;  is  not  subject  to  outward  constraint;  is 
compelled  only  by  forces  which  are  within  itself.  We  are  far 
from  entertaining   that   grand  and  fatal  fallacy   that  the   cause   of 


xlii  CHRIST'S  LOVE  FOR    CHILDREN. 

religion  can  be  served  by  outward  compulsion;  by  legal  pains  and 
penalties.     *     *     *     * 

Against  the  inflowings  of  all  error  and  unbelief,  from  whatever 
quarter,  the  Bible  is  our  only  safeguard.  Its  invincibility  has  been 
tried  on  many  a  field,  and  always  made  good  the  promise  that,  When 
the  enemy  shall  come  in  like  a  flood,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  lift  up  a 
standard  against  him.  For  God  is  in  His  Word;  and  His  pervasive 
presence  is  the  vital  secret  of  its  perpetual  power  and  continual 
triumphs.     *     *     *     * 

Coeval  with  the  dawn  of  consciousness  is  the  sentiment  of  duty, 
and  the  feeling  of  accountability.  The  teaehing  therefore  cannot 
begin  too  early.  It  may  properly  precede  the  alphabet.  It  is  as 
cruel  and  as  criminal  to  withhold  necessary  knowledge  as  to  with- 
hold necessary  food.  Childhood,  we  know,  is  singularly  receptive — 
has  swift,  sure  instincts  and  intuitions  outrunning  sometimes  expe- 
rience and  logic;  and  ought  not  therefore  to  be  unduly  distrusted. 
We  see  the  new-born  babe  perfect  from  the  first  in  an  unlearned  art. 
So  likewise  in  spiritual  matters — what  is  hard  for  the  man  is  easy  for 
the  child.  No  films  of  prejudice  or  doubt  cloud  the  vision.  Duty  is 
plain.     I  ought  stands  clear  in  the  sunlight.     *     *     *     * 


CHRIST'S  LOVE  FOR  CHILDREN. 

From   a   letter  to  a   little  girl,   a   daughter  of  the   late  Judge  James 
Hervey  Ackerman. 

I  thank  you  very  much  for  the  beautiful  book-mark  you  sent  me. 
I  confess  I  don't  know  a  nicer  little  girl  than  you  are.  This  is 
my  candid  opinion,   and   I  am  willing  everybody   should  know  it. 


CHRISTIAN   LOVE.  xliii 

Tell  your  dear  mother  to  kiss  you  on  both  cheeks  for  me.  Continue 
to  be  good:  Love  the  Saviour.  When  He  was  on  the  earth  a  great 
while  ago,  He  took  little  children  in  His  arms  and  blessed  them.  I 
think  some  of  them  must  have  been  about  your  age,  and  I  am  quite 
sure  not  one  of  them  ever  forgot  it.  Jesus  is  now  in  heaven,  but 
He  sees  and  knows  all  that  you  say  and  do.  If  you  ask  Him  He 
will  bless  you  too,  for  nobody  loves  you  so  much  as  He  does. 
When  you  do  wrong  you  must  ask  His  forgiveness  and  try  not  to  do 
so  again.  Be  happy  yourself  and  do  all  you  can  (and  that  is  a  great 
deal)  to  make  others  happy.  Give  my  love  to  your  mother  and  your 
brothers  and  sister. 


CHRISTIAN     LOVE. 

From  a  letter  to  George  MacDonald: 

Your  Christmas  remembrances,  Novalis  and  all,  mailed  on  my 
birthday  (please  excuse  the  noticing  of  the  coincidence)  came  duly 
to  hand,  thanks  to  the  postal  zeal  of  two  great  nations,  who,  know- 
ing how  important  is  the  commerce  of  fraternity  and  good  will, 
lend  themselves  to  be  our  winged  Mercuries  and  servitors  to  fetch 
or  carry  our  messages  of  business  or  love.  I  ought,  I  suppose,  to 
feel  like  an  old  man,  but  I  do  not.  "  The  trees  of  the  Lord  are  full 
of  sap,"  even  in  winter.  I,  also,  vegetating  in  the  tropics  of  God's 
favor,  renew  my  leaf.  My  heart  still  burgeons  and  blooms.  I  am 
not  sensible  of  any  failure  in  the  power  and  blessedness  of  loving. 
I  am  as  capable  of  warm  friendship  as  ever.  Common  friendship 
is  much,  but  Christian  fellowship  is  more.  If  I  love  you  for  your 
own  sake,  I  ought  to  love  you  with  a  higher  love  for  Christ's  sake. 
The  homo  sum   of    Terence   is  generous,    but  human;    it   does    not 


xliv  CHRISTIAN  ACTIVITY. 

mount  to  the  divine  elevation  of  Christ's  "Love  one  another,  as  I 
have  loved  you."  What  an  infinite  dearness  is  a  love  which  stopped 
at  nothing  to  save  mankind.  By  feeding  on  Christ  we  are  con- 
verted to  a  divine  sameness  and  oneness  in  Him.  We  eat  the  same 
spiritual  meat  and  drink  the  same  spiritual  drink,  but  contrary  to 
what  takes  place  in  ordinary  alimentation,  we  do  not  transubstan- 
tiate the  food,  but  the  food  transubstantiates  us.  Instead  of 
assimilating,  we  are  assimilated.  From  this  Eucharist  of  love  there 
results  an  immense  augmentation  of  the  power  of  loving.  Then 
only  can  we  be  said  to  be  perfect  in  love  when  we  can  love  all 
whom  Christ  loves  with  an  equal  love. 

I  am  glad  and  grateful  for  your  translations.  They  are  marvel- 
ously  faithful.  *  *  *  *  What  a  joy  it  would  be  to  see  you  once 
more.  Our  hands  beckon  you.  Come.  In  the  meantime,  let  us 
live  in  your  remembrance. 


CHRISTIAN     ACTIVITY. 

From  a  letter  to  the  Rev.    Theodore  L.   Cuyler,  D.  £>.; 

One  of  the  most  striking  of  our  Lord's  Similitudes  is  that  of  the 
Sower:  "  Behold,  a  sower  went  forth  to  sow."  It  forms  the  subject 
of  a  picture  which  has  always  deeply  interested  me.  Everything  is 
true  to  life.  We  admire  the  cheerful  energy  of  his  measured  step 
and  the  confident  swing  of  his  vigorous  arm  as  he  sows  the  seed. 
I  know  of  no  finer  exhibition  of  Trust.  At  first  sight  it  might  seem 
like  thriftless  waste,  a  reckless  throwing  away  of  the  precious 
grain,  but  we  know  it  is  not.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  in  it 
shrewd  calculation  and  wise  husbandry.  *  *  *  *  The  earth 
only  receives  to  give  back  again,   multiplied   thirty,    sixty  and   a 


CHRISTIAN  ACTIVITY.  xlv 

hundredfold.  To  estimate  the  greatness  of  the  Divine  liberality 
in  this  respect,  let  us  take  the  minimum,  calling  the  rates  of 
increase  thirtyfold  per  annum,  and  let  the  multiplication  go  on  for 
thirty  years.  Suppose  we  sow  one  bushel  to  the  acre — it  would 
form  a  nice  sum  in  Geometrical  Progression  to  cipher  out  and  tell 
the  number  of  acres  that  would  be  sown,  and  the  number  of  bushels 
produced  during  that  period.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  mighty 
harvest  would  fill  the  universe.  The  Commutation  would  proceed 
in  this  wise: 


Time. 

Acres  sown. 

Yield  in  bushels. 

ist    year, 

I 

30 

2d    year, 

30 

900 

3d    year, 

900 

27,000 

4th  year, 

27,000 

8lO,O0O 

5th  year, 

810,000 

24,300,000 

6th  year, 

24,300,000 

729,000,000 

It  is  useless  to  pursue  it  further.  Now  for  bushels  substitute 
souls.  Suppose  you  are  the  means  of  converting  thirty  souls  a 
year,  and  each  of  these  thirty  should  be  the  means  of  converting 
thirty  more,  and  each  of  these  900,  thirty  more,  making  27,000  souls, 
and  so  on,  it  would  not  take  long  to  convert  the  whole  world. 
Unfortunately,  every  convert  is  not  a  Cuyler,  and  the  work,  there- 
fore, goes  on  slowly. 

While  sowing  the  divine  seed  of  the  Kingdom  has  been  the  main 
business  of  your  life,  and  while  God  has  pre-eminently  blessed  your 
labors,  you  have  employed,  as  it  were,  your  moments  of  rest  and 
recreation  in  "scattering  seeds  of  kindness"  all  your  life  long  with 
an  unsparing  hand,  and  I  do  not  believe  the  harvest  Jias  been  less 
abundant    because   the   growing    grain    has    been    bordered    with 


xlvi  CHRISTIAN  ACTIVITY. 

flowers,  sweet  pansies  and  forget-me-nots.  I  am  not  sure  that  the 
distinction  I  make  between  the  seeds  of  kindness  and  the  seeds  of 
the  Kingdom  is  a  just  one,  for  are  we  not  told  that  the  giving  of  a 
cup  of  cold  water  is  a  Christian  service?  I  am  convinced  your 
kind  and  loving  nature  has  largely  contributed  to  your  success. 
***** 


CHRISTIAN     ASSURANCE. 

The  night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand.  Let  us  quicken  our 
footsteps.  The  Lord  cometh,  and  we  go  forth  to  meet  Him.  Let  us 
not  doubt  but  that  everything  we  have  committed  to  Him  we  shall 
find  safe  in  His  keeping. 

Death   is  a  door  opening  heavenward. 

Were  it  not  for  death  one  might  be  tempted  to  doubt  whether  it 
is  really  so  that  God  is  love. 

Death  does  not  terminate  friendship,  but  only  seals  it  and  makes 
it  more  sacred.  It  follows  our  friends  into  the  other  world,  and 
has  the  stamp  of  immortality  fixed  upon  it.  The  gate  through 
which  they  passed  stands  open.  Our  tears  as  they  fall  are  suffused 
and  made  iridescent  with  a  heavenly  light  like  rainbows  in  a 
shower,  for  they  are  tears  of  joy  as  well  as  grief. 

Let  us  not  doubt  that  God  has  a  father's  pity  towards  us,  and 
that  in  the  removal  of  that  which  is  dearest  to  us  He  is  still  loving 
and  kind.  Death  separates  but  it  also  unites.  It  reunites  whom 
it  separates. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH 


ABRAHAM    COLES,   M.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D., 


EZRA    M.    HUNT,    M.  D.,    LL.  D. 


This  life,  let  it  be  long  or  short,  is  but  the  prefatory  chapter  of  a 
Life  which  is  yet  to  be  lived,  and  which  is  never  to  end — the  initial 
foreword  of  an  eternal  biography. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 

ABRAHAxM  COLES,  M.  D.,  Ph.D.,  LL.  D.,  son  of 
Dennis  and  Catherine  (Van  Deursen)  Coles, 
was  born  December  26,  1813,  at  Scotch  Plains,  New- 
Jersey.  His  father  was  then  living  on  the  ancestral 
farm,  which  he  had  inherited,  its  title-deed  antedating 
the  Revolution.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity, 
sound  judgment,  and  rare  literary  taste.  He  had  been 
for  a  number  of  years,  (after  an  apprenticeship  with 
Shepard  Kollock  of  Revolutionary  fame),  a  printer 
and  editor  in  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  of  a  newspaper — "The 
Recorder  of  the  Times."  Bound  volumes  of  this  paper 
were  preserved  and  treasured  by  his  son  Abraham,  in 
whom  he  early  cultivated  his  fondness  for  study  and  for 
literature. 

As  a  youth,  Dr.  Coles  manifested  a  diligent  interest  in 
the    acquisition    of    knowledge.       Dr.   J.   W.  Craig,    of 


4  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

Plainfield,  once  told  me  that  he  well  remembered  his 
assiduity  as  a  boy,  as,  from  day  to  day,  he  saw  him 
coming  all  the  way  from  Scotch  Plains  to  Plainfield  in 
order  to  have  the  advantage  of  a  better  school  than  he 
could  attend  at  home.  Yet  his  parents  do  not  seem  to 
have  looked  forward  to  his  special  preparation  for  a 
professional  life,  as  we  find  him  for  two  years  in  a  dry- 
goods  store,  and  as  he  never  entered  any  college  for 
academic  studies.  All  this  lime,  his  love  of  learning 
must  have  led  him  to  private  study,  for,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  he  assisted  Rev.  Mr.  Bond,  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Plainfield,  in  his  school, 
as  teacher  of  Latin  and  mathematics. 

At  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  had  resolved  to  study  law, 
and  entered  the  office  of  Chief  Justice  Joseph  C.  Horn- 
blower,  at  Newark.  He  seems  soon  to  have  discovered 
that  he  could  find  a  wid^r  field  for  usefulness  in  the 
practice  ot  medicine  than  of  law,  for  in  less  than  a  year, 
he  left  the  office  to  study  fur  the  medical  profession. 
His  resolution  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  law 
was,  however,  never  shaken.     Throughout  his  long  life, 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  5 

his  fondness  for   the    law   and   his   knowledge  thereof 
were  manifested  on  many  occasions. 

[laving  attended  lectures  at  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  New  York,  and  at  Jefferson  College, 
Philadelphia,  he  graduated  at  the  latter  in  1835. 
Returning  to  his  home,  he  made  a  profession  of  his 
Christian  faith,  uniting  with  the  Scotch  Plains  Baptist 
Church,  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  John  Rogers. 
In  1836  he  settled,  for  the  practice  of  the  medical 
profession,  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  united,  by  letter, 
with  the  First  Baptist  Church. 

Those  who  knew  him  in  early  professional  life  can 
well  recognize  how,  with  his  modesty,  diffidence  and 
reserve,  he  should  thus  far  not  have  revealed  the 
amount  of  knowledge  he  had  acquired.  Yet  those  who 
met  him  were  impressed  with  his  commanding  person- 
ality, his  urbane  and  quiet  dignity,  and  somehow  felt 
themselves  in  the  presence  of  a  superior  nature. 

Besides  thorough  preparation  in  his  profession,  he 
evidently  had  spent  much  of  his  time  in  the  study  of 
the  classics,  and  had  acquired  an  accurate  knowledge 
thereof,  such  as  is  possessed  by  those  only  who  have  by 


6  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

dint  of  personal  effort  worked  their  way  into  the  genius 
and  technicalities  of  a  dead  language. 

In  1842  he  married  Caroline  E.,  a  beautiful  and 
accomplished  daughter  of  Jonathan  C,  and  Maria 
(Smith)  Ackerman,  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  She  was 
very  saintly  and  lovely  in  character,  and  much  beloved 
by  those  who  knew  her.  She  died  in  1S47,  leaving  a 
son  and  a  daughter  who  were  thenceforth  the  only  fond 
companions  of  his  domestic  circle.  His  great  loss  and 
his  new  responsibilities  seem  to  have  still  more  inclined 
him  to  devotion  to  his  professional  and  scholastic 
studies. 

In  1848  he  went  abroad,  spending  most  of  his  time  in 
hospitals,  and  in  the  society  of  the  most  eminent  physi- 
cians and  surgeons,  of  Europe.  He  was  in  Paris  during 
the  Revolution  of  June,  1848,  which  gave  him  special 
opportunities  for  surgical  study. 

When  I  entered  his  office,  in  1849,  ne  was  regarded  as 
the  most  accomplished  practitioner  of  Newark,  and  as 
eminent  both  for  his  professional  and  literary  acquire- 
ments. He  had  already  found  his  practice  sufficient  to 
admit   a   partner,  which    he   did  all   the  more   readily 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  7 

because  seeking  to  secure  more  time  for  literary  study, 
and  the  indulgence  of  his  taste  both  in  art  and  litera^ 
ture.  He  had  been  favored  in  and  out  of  his  profession 
with  such  pecuniary  success — resulting  mostly  from 
judicious  investments  in  real  estate — as  enabled  him  to 
continue  in  practice  chiefly  for  the  love  of  his  calling. 
He  was  fond  of  clinical  exactness,  was  often  called  upon 
in  consultation,  especially  in  surgical  cases,  and  had 
that  conscientious  regard  for  the  welfare  of  his  patients 
which  led  him  carefully  to  study  and  observe,  so  as  to 
be  skillful  in  his  treatment  and  devotedly  attentive  to 
those  in  his  charge.  In  1854,  he  again  visited  Europe. 
After  an  absence  of  seventeen  months,  during  which  he 
made  the  continental  languages  a  study,  he  returned  to 
his  practice  in  Newark.  He  then  devoted  himself  with 
increased  knowledge  and  earnestness  to  professional 
work,  and  for  many  years,  with  another  assistant,  con- 
tinued in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession. 

In  1862,  under  the  direction  of  an  eminent  English 
landscape  gardener,  he  began  the  laying  out  and  beau- 
tifying of  seventeen  acres  of  the  ancestral  farm  at 
Scotch  Plains,  selecting  for  his  plantings  the  choicest 


8  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

varieties  of  foreign  and  domestic  trees,  plants  and 
shrubs.  In  one  portion  of  this  park,  he  located  a  repro- 
duction of  the  famous  labyrinth  at  Hampton  Court, 
near  London.  In  another  part,  he  enclosed  a  large 
paddock  for  a  herd  of  deer  of  his  own  raising.  He 
built,  subsequently,  a  house  of  brick  and  stone  and 
native  woods,  in  harmony  with  the  grounds.  In  this  he 
resided  with  his  son  and  daughter,  and  was  a  most 
genial  and  entertaining  host.  His  large  library  with 
its  lofty  roof  was  the  special  admiration  of  his  many 
guests.  Among  the  imported  copies  of  antiques  on 
the  lawn  is  one  of  ^sculapius,  and  in  the  entrance  hall 
of  the  mansion  is  Horatio  Stone's  marble  bust  of 
Harvey. 

On  the  highest  point  of  his  mountain-land  opposite 
his  home,  he  erected  a  handsome  rustic  tower,  two 
stories  high,  of  which  he  makes  mention  in  the  follow- 
ing lines  : 

The  breezy  summit  of  the  neighboring  Mount 
Blows  bugle-summons,  calling  to  the  Muse 
To  climb  and  meditate  the  prospect.      Pulse 
Quickens,  blood  gallops  in  the  veins,  and  throbs 


The  Young  Hunters  by  A.    Calandrelli   (1874.) 
Some  of  the   Deer  at  Deerhurst. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  g 

Impatient,  knowing  what  awaits.     O  come  ! 
Delay  not  !     Hasten  !     Leave  the  Plain,  or  lead 
Or  follow  !     'Gainst  the  steep  opposing  slope 
Plant  eager  feet,  and,  at  each  upward  step, 
Look  back  to  see  how  the  horizon  widens  !     High 
And  higher  yet  keep  climbing,  till  you  reach 
The  Tower  above  the  tree-top  lifted,  so  the  eye 
Shall  leap  all  barriers  to  the  farthest  blue  ! 
The  Height  is  holy,  and  not  far  from  God  ! 

While  retiring  from  the  more  active  duties  of  a 
general  practice,  he  was  for  many  years  daily  at 
his  Newark  office  ;  and  also,  as  a  favor,  allowed  many 
of  those  who  lived  near  his  country  home,  ''Deer- 
hurst,"  to  avail  themselves  of  his  advice.  In  fact,  it 
cannot  be  said  that  he  relinquished  practice  at  all,  or 
allowed  his  increasing  literary  distinction  and  his  busi- 
ness duties  to  interfere  with  his  devotion  to  his  chosen 
pursuit.  He  was  eminently  a  physician,  amid  all  other 
eminence.  He  delighted  in  his  profession,  both  as  a 
science  and  as  an  art.  He  felt  his  calling  to  be  a  sacred 
one.  It  was  apart  of  his  ministry  for  the  Master  whom 
he  loved  to  serve.     He  lived  to  assuage  pain,  and  to  be 


IO  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

courageous  in  relieving  sickness  and  postponing  death  ; 
rejoicing  in  the  good  he  was  thus  enabled  to  do  for 
humanity  and  for  God. 

How  loyal  he  was  to  his  profession,  amid  the  greater 
glow  of  literary  fame  and  the  temptations  of  wealthy 
ease,  let  "The  Microcosm"  testify.  This  poetic  address 
of  his,  as  President  of  the  Medical  Society  of  New 
Jersey  in  1866,  should  be  read  and  re-read  by  every 
physician  as  an  inspiration  to  accurate  knowledge,  to 
close  analysis,  to  professional  enthusiasm,  and  to  ador- 
ing love.  It  leaves  a  poor  excuse  for  any  of  us,  if 
we  are  not  inspired  by  the  theme  of  our  studies,  and 
the  object  of  our  life  service.  It  does  not  ignore 
that  which  is  material  and  world-wise,  but  it  crowns  it 
with  that  which  is  spiritual  and  eternal.  It  shows  how 
we  have  a  mission  to  fulfill;  and  how  integral  and  essen- 
tial Christianity  is  to  those  who  live  to  minister  to  their 
fellow-men  in  sickness  and  in  death.  As  he  expresses 
it  in  his  note  as  to  Vesalius  :  "  The  Divine  Redeemer, 
the  Incarnate  Word,  Maker  of  all  things,  Lord  of  life, 
is  Lord  also  of  the  Sciences." 

In    the   Physician's  edition   of  ''The   Microcosm,"  as 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  n 

published  by  the  Appletons,  he  introduces  several  illus- 
trations. One  is  the  portrait  of  Vesalius  devoutly 
engaged  in  dissection,  which  he  inserts  as  illustrative 
of  these  lines: 

Dear  God!  this  Body,  which,  with  wondrous  art 

Thou  hast  contrived,  and  finished  part  by  part, 

Itself  a  universe,  a  lesser  all,. 

The  greater  cosmos  crowded  in  the  small — 

I  kneel  before  it,  as  a  thing  divine; 

For  such  as  this,  did  actually  enshrine 

Thy  gracious  Godhead  once,  when  Thou  didst  make 

Thyself  incarnate,  for  my  sinful  sake. 

Thou  who  hast  done  so  very  much  for  me, 

0  let  me  do  some  humble  thing  for  Thee! 

1  would  to  every  Organ  give  a  tongue, 
That  Thy  high  praises  may  be  fitly  sung; 
Appropriate  ministries  assign  to  each, 
The  least  make  vocal,  eloquent  to  teach. 

Another  is  Rembrandt's  well-known  "  Lesson  in 
Anatomy,"  which  he  inserts  with  the  description,  begin- 
ning thus: 


12  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

The  subject  Muscles — girded  to  fulfill 
The  lightning  mandates  of  the  sovereign  Will — 
Th'  abounding  means  of  motion,  wherein  lurk 
Man's  infinite  capacity  for  work. 

A  third  is  "Harvey  Demonstrating  to  Charles  I, 
his  Theory  of  the  Circulation  of  the  Blood  ": 

Make  room,  my  Heart!  that  pour'st  thyself  abroad, 
Deep,  central,  awful  mystery  of  God! 

Well  may  he  be  called  the  Physician-Poet !  He 
received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Rutgers  College. 
In  i860  he  received  the  degree  of  Ph.D.  from  Lewis- 
burg  University,  and  that  of  LL.D.  from  Princeton 
College  in  1871. 

Dr.  Coles  had  reached  such  a  vigorous  old  age  as  still 
to  promise  many  years  of  life.  In  the  early  Spring 
(1891),  he  had  the  prevailing  influenza,  which  left  him 
with  a  cough,  and  some  mild  symptoms  which  puzzled 
him,  as  they  have  so  many  others,  but  which  seemed  to 
give  no  occasion  for  alarm.  As  a  recreation,  he  pro- 
posed a  trip  to  California  with  his  son  and  daughter 
and   a  sister-in-law.     They  left  home  April   14th.     The 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  13 

trip  was  a  disappointing  one,  for,  although  his  power- 
ful constitution  enabled  him  to  go  everywhere,  his 
cough  defied  all  treatment,  and  by  reason  thereof  he 
grew  weaker  instead  of  stronger.  After  a  week's  stay 
at  the  beautiful  Hotel  del  Monte,  California,  where  he 
received  every  possible  courtesy  and  attention,  heart 
complication  suddenly  set  in  as  a  sequel  to  La  Grippe. 
He  was  confined  to  his  room  but  two  days.  Unable  to 
recline,  he  calmly  realized  the  serious  nature  of  his 
symptoms.  With  great  peace  he  bade  adieu  to  his 
loved  ones,  reminded  them  to  repeat,  each  morning,  The 
Lord's  Prayer,  and  to  aid  the  objects  dearest  to  his 
heart;  then,  with  words  of  Christian  faith  and  love, 
passed  away,  (May  3d,  1891),  to  be,  as  one  of  his  own 
hymns  so  well  expresses  it — 

Ever,  my  Lord,  with  Thee, 

Ever  with  Thee! 
Through  ail  eternity 

Thy  face  to  see! 
I  only  ask  to  be 
Ever,  my  Lord,  with  Thee, 

Ever  with  Thee! 


14  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

The  funeral  of  Dr.  Coles  took  place  at  the  First 
Baptist  Peddie  Memorial  Church,  Newark,  N.  J., 
May  29th,  and  was  largely  attended  by  his  medical 
and  literary  friends  and  those  in  other  walks  of  life 
who  had  known  him  in  the  various  relations  he  had 
sustained.  The  appropriate  rendering  of  four  of  his 
hymns*  added  solemnity  to  the  occasion,  and  emphasis 
to  the  many  tributes  to  his  earnest  Christian  life. 
His  remains  were  interred  in  Willow  Grove  Cemetery, 
New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  beside  those  of  his  wife. 

This  notice  would  be  incomplete  without  some  fuller 
allusion  to  his  literary  labors,  and  to  the  marked  traits 
of  his  character. 

Soon  after  he  settled  in  Newark,  he  became  a  con- 
tributor to  the  Newark  Daily  Advertiser,  and  early 
showed  an  interest  in  education,  in  a  public  library,  in 
temperance  movements,  and  in  all  objects  looking  to 
the  welfare  of  society.  Rarely  attending  any  public 
meetings,  he  gave  expression  to  his  views  in  an  occa- 


*  "  Ever,  My  Lord,  with  Thee."     Tune,  Bethany. 
"  All  the  Days."    Original  music  by  W.  F.  Sherwin. 
"Jesu  Dulcis  Memoria."     Translation;  tune,  Clifford. 
"  Here  are  Partings  and  Painful  Farewells."    Tune,  Sweet  By  and  By. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  I5 

sional  address,  and  in  the  columns  of  the  daily 
journals. 

In  poetry  and  prose,  his  literary  taste  and  learning 
soon  came  to  be  recognized,  and  he  had  a  local  reputa- 
tion long  before  he  was  more  generally  known.*  It  was, 
perhaps,  his  first  translation  of  "Dies  Irae  "  (1847),  that 
arrested  the  attention  of  linguists  and  scholars  through- 
out the  world.  It  was  a  difficult  task  to  undertake,  as 
there  were  several  versifications  of  it  by  authors  of 
classical  note  and  learning.  As  he  followed  it,  from 
time  to  time,  with  sixteen  other  versions,  it  was  seen 
what  opulence  of  resource  was  at  his  command. 

Rev.  Dr.  Philip  Schaff,  in  his  recent  work,  "  Litera- 
ture and  Poetry,"  referring  to  these,  says,  "A  physician, 
Abraham  Coles,  has  made  (of  the  "  Dies  Irae  ")  seventeen 
versions  in  all,  which  show  a  rare  fertility  and  versa- 
tility, and  illustrate  the  possibilities  of  versification 
without  altering  the  sense." 

His  translations  of  various  other  Latin  hymns,  as 
contained  in  his  volume,  "Latin   Hymns  with  Original 

♦The  catalogues  of  many  of  the  libraries  of  Europe,  especially  those  of  Oxford 
and  Cambridge,  England,  show  the  possession  of  one  or  more  of  the  published 
works  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles. 


x6  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

Translations,"  will  ever  be  the  admiration  of  scholars.* 
"The  Evangel  "  and  "The  Light  of  the  World  "  give 
the  Gospel  story  of  our  Lord  in  verse,  with  notes  full  cf 
devotion  and  learning.     His  great  love  to  Christ  was 
his  crowning  excellence. f 

John  G.  Whittier  says  :  "Dr.  Coles  is  a  born  hymn- 
writer.  He  has  left  us,  as  a  legacy  of  inestimable  worth, 
some  of  the  sweetest  of  Christian  hymns.  His  'All  the 
Days'  and  his  'Ever  with  Thee'  are  immortal  songs. 
It  is  better  to  have  written  them  than  the  stateliest 
of  epics.  No  man  living  or  dead  has  so  rendered  the 
text  and  the  spirit  of  the  old  and  wonderful  Latin 
hymns." 

*Dr.  Coles  has  left,  in  manuscript,  Translations  of  the  whole  of  Bernard  of 
Clairvaux's  "  Address  to  the  Various  Members  of  Christ's  Body  Hanging  on  the 
Cross,"  consisting-  of  three  hundred  and  seventy  lines  ;  the  whole  of  Hildcbert's 
"Address  to  the  Three  Persons  ot  the  Most  Holy  Trinity;"  the  first  book  of 
Vida's '' Christiad  ;"  several  additional  Latin  hymns;  selectrons  from  the  Greek 
and  Latin  classics;  and  other  writings  in  poetry  and  prose  on  literary,  medical 
and  scientific  subjects. 

tin  his  introduction  to  "The  Evangel,"  Dr.  Coles  says:  "The  author  has 
sought  to  cast  down  and  tread  under  foot  all  egotisms,  vanities  and  low  ambitions; 
and  if  in  his  weakness  and  unworthiness  he  has  done  anything  to  make  the  ador- 
able Redeemer  the  object  of  a  warmer  love  and  a  firmer  trust ;  to  draw  closer  the 
bands  of  a  common  brotherhood  in  an  undivided  fellowship  of  Christian  love  ;  to 
make  the  Bible  seem  a  dearer  and  a  diviner  book — its  pages  more  luminous,  its 
promises  more  precious,  the  heaven  it  reveals  more  certain— he  would  prize  it 
infinitely  more  than  the  greatest  epic  success. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  ij 

While  these  studies  show  his  profound  learning  in  the 
Greek  and  Latin  languages,  it  is  only  when  we  look 
to  the  studies  of  his  last  years,  in  "A  New  Rendering  of 
the  Hebrew  Psalms  into  English  Verse,"  that  we  come 
to  know  of  his  knowledge  of  Oriental  languages;  of 
the  vast  realms  of  scholarship  he  had  explored.  But 
his  stately  and  commanding  prose  has  almost  been 
obscured  by  his  poetry.  The  marvel  of  all  his  books 
is  in  their  introductions  and  notes.  Whole  folios  of 
recondite  learning  are  opened  up  in  modest  foot-notes, 
and  the  reader  knows  he  is  in  company  with  one  who 
has  been  delving  and  digging  in  the  richest  mines  of 
unexplored  knowledge.  His  sharp,  quick  sentences  of 
introduction,  and  the  grasp  which  he  shows  of  his 
theme,  are  at  once  an  admiration  and  a  surprise. 

His  style  has  individuality  as  much  as  that  of  Dr. 
Johnson  or  of  Thomas  Carlyle.  One  constantly  sees  how 
thoughts  sublime  find  expression  in  terse  and  stately 
sentences,  and  how  words  are  chosen  such  as  come  out 
of  the  depths  of  inspiration  and  genius.  There  is  not 
conformity  to  the  style  of  any  favorite  author,  or  to  the 
modes  of  thought  of  any  formal  logician,  but  a  forging 


^  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

of  weighty  words,  wrought  out  from  the  depths  of 
great  inner  feelings  and  conceptions.  Others  will 
more  fully  analyze  these  mementoes  of  his  greatness, 
but  we,  as  physicians,  may  well  linger  in  admiration,  and 
rejoice  that  one  of  our  own  Society  should  have  thus 
adorned  a  literature  already  rich  in  contributions  from 
those  educated  in  medical  science,  and  proficient  in 
medical  art. 

But  the  crown  of  all  was  his  wonderful  character. 
He  did  everything  with  conscientious  precision  and 
thoroughness  ;  he  was  always  after  the  depth  of 
things.  How  he  would  sometimes  work  over  the 
wording  of  a  line,  and  then  over  a  note  that  brought 
out  its  fullest  meaning.  So,  too,  he  worked  in  his 
profession. 

His  respectful  bearing  toward  all  had  its  seat  in  a 
profound  reverence.  He  was  reverent  of  humanity  be- 
cause of  his  intense  reverence  for  God  and  all  his 
works.  He  studied  nature  and  the  Bible  and  the  inner 
consciousness  of  the  spiritual  life  with  the  same 
majestic,  adoring  insight.  He  was  not  religious  by 
an  effort.     "  I  have,"  says  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  Zg 

"always  considered  it  a  great  privilege  to  enjoy  the 
friendship  of  so  pure  and  lofty  a  spirit;  a  man  who 
seemed  to  breathe  holiness  as  his  native  atmosphere, 
and  to  carry  its  influences  into  his  daily  life." 

Had  he  not  been  poet,  he  would  have  been  painter,  or 
musical  composer,  because  in  no  other  way  could  his 
adoring  enthusiasm  have  found  symmetrical  expression. 

When  he  issued  a  book  its  typographical  execution 
must  be  complete.  He  visited  the  great  picture  gal- 
leries of  Europe,  and  at  large  expense  selected  the 
choicest  specimens  of  ancient  art  to  illustrate  his 
themes.  These  gave  expression  to  his  character  not 
less  than  to  his  taste. 

When  he  wrote  hymns  it  was  because  the  inner  music 
of  his  soul  had  to  be  set  to  metrical  expression.  He 
was  a  genius,  but  it  was  chiefly  character  and  life  that 
flowed  out  through  his  writings. 

He  became  familiar  with  little  children  easier  than 
with  all  others,  because  in  them  he  saw  more  of  nature, 
and  more  of  faith,  hope  and  charity. 

He  believed  in  his  profession,  because  in  it  he  realized 
the  possibilities  of  high  science  and  applied  art  for  the 
ii 


20  BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH. 

uses  of  humanity,  and  so  could  be  co-worker  with  the 
Great  Physician,  who  went  about  doing  good.  We 
cherish  his  memory  because  we  cherish  skill,  character, 
usefulness,  and  rejoice  in  having  such  a  model.  Such 
lives  do  not  die,  but  live  as  incentives  for  those  of  all 
the  ages.  We  cannot  reach  his  fame,  but  we  can 
imitate  his  devotion  to  knowledge,  his  reverence  for 
life  and  goodness,  his  desire  for  usefulness,  his  holy 
faith,  his  humble  affection  for  the  good,  the  beautiful, 
the  true. 


EH     - 

tr|    o 

pa    o 

Q  a 
«i 
w 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


IN     MEMORIAM. 

ABRAHAM   COLES,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.,  ENTERED    INTO   REST, 
MAY   3,    189I. 

This  simple  wreath  upon  his  bier  I  lay — 

This  feeble  tribute  to  his  memory  pay, 

Not  only  for  he  was  my  father's  friend, 

And  mine,  steadfast  and  faithful  to  the  end; 

But  day  and  night,  to  help  his  fellow  men, 

He  wrought  with  skillful  hands  and  able  pen. 

His  wealth  of  ancient  and  of  modern  lore 

He  held  in  trust  to  serve  the  Master  more; 

In  science  versed,  yet  well  did  he  uphold 

The  faith  delivered  to  the  saints  of  old; 

The  keen  logician,  hiding  not  his  light, 

With  leveled  lance  he  charged  for  truth  and  right. 

The  poet  sweet,  his  graceful  verses  ran 

In  streams  of  love  to  God  and  love  to  man. 

The  course  is  finished  now — fought  the  good  fight; 
Henceforth  the  victor's  crown,  the  robe  of  white. 
No  more  the  gentle  voice,  the  kindly  face, 
Shall  welcome  to  the  fair  ancestral  place, 
Where  Summer,  matchless  by  the  mountain  side, 
Holds  queenly  court;  yet  may  our  tears  be  dried, 
For  he  the  heaven-illumined  path  hath  trod, 
That  leads  unto  the  perfect  peace  of  God. 

Theophilus  Bond. 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

T  I  THE  death  of  Dr.  Coles,  in  California,  was  extensively 
noticed  and  commented  upon  by  the  press,  reli- 
gious and  secular;  and  many  letters  of  sympathy,  min- 
gled with  expressions  of  respect  and  regard  for  the 
departed,  were  received  by  the  members  of  his  family. 

On  the  second  day  after  his  death,  the  following  edi- 
torial appeared  in  the  "  Newark  Daily  Advertiser  :  " 

' '  The  sudden  death  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  which  is  announced  in 
another  column  to-day,  will  cause  a  deep  feeling  of  sadness,  not 
only  among  the  medical  profession,  of  which  he  was  a  distinguished 
member,  but  especially  in  this  community  in  which  his  active  life  was 
passed,  and  among  the  generation  which  loved  and  appreciated  his 
rare  virtues  and  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  heart.  He  sprang 
from  fine  old  New  Jersey  stock,  and  inherited  the  literary,  artistic 
and  scientific  tastes  which  he  afterwards  developed  with  conscien- 
tious and  painstaking  culture.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  religious 
faith,  positive  political  convictions,  and  inflexible  purity  of  character. 
He  had  walked  the  hospitals  of  Paris,  where  he  became  an  accom- 
plished surgeon;  and  he  practiced  his  profession  with  marked  suc- 
cess. At  the  same  time  he  devoted  a  large  share  of  his  energies  to 
classical  studies,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  literary  men  on  both 


24 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


sides  of  the  ocean  by  his  careful  translations  of  the  famous  old  lyrics, 
the  'Dies  Irae'  and  'Stabat  Mater,' which  were  published  in  book 
form,  with  illustrations  which  he  had  selected  from  the  best  works 
of  the  old  masters.  He  was  also  the  author  of  many  poems  and 
reviews,  and  articles  on  various  subjects  of  popular  interest,  some 
of  which  originally  appeared  in  this  paper.  As  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  old  Newark  Library,  and  the  Historical  Society,  and  on 
account  of  his  active  efforts  in  the  promotion  of  the  religious,  educa- 
tional and  scientific  development  of  this  city,  his  memory  will  be 
cherished  with  lasting  affection  and  respect." 


The  "Union  County  Standard,"  after  referring  to  the 

loss  sustained   by  his   native    county  by  reason  of  his 

death,  says: 

"In  his  life  Dr.  Abraham  Coles  was  sturdy  in  his  convictions, 
and  effective  in  carrying  them  out.  He  did  much  work  for  the 
right  side  in  the  abolition  of  slavery.  His  reverence  for  things 
eternal  was  as  sincere  as  it  was  tolerant.  He  was  an  intimate  and 
dear  friend  of  George  MacDonald,  the  English  novelist.  He  main- 
tained a  friendly  intimacy  with  John  Bright,  and  with  Oliver  Wen- 
dell Holmes  and  John  G.Whittier,  and  many  other  strong  and  good 
men.  His  deeds  of  kindness  were  as  numerous  as  the  hours  he 
lived.  He  led  a  very  beautiful  life  in  his  library,  in  communion 
with  the  departed  and  the  living.  His  memory  will  always 
be  pleasant  as  the  memory  of  a  friendly  and  just  man  made 
perfect." 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


25 


From  the  "  New  York  Tribune"  we  quote  the  fol- 
lowing: 

"  Dr.  Abraham  Coles  was  widely  known  as  a  scholar,  author  and 
linguist.  He  was  born  at  Scotch  Plains,  N.  J.,  and  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  life  there  on  his  beautiful  place,  which  was  much  resorted 
to  by  literary  and  professional  people.  For  more  than  fifty  years  he 
pursued  his  literary  studies  and  work,  and  became  proficient  in 
Greek,  Latin,  Hebrew,  Sanskrit  and  the  modern  languages." 

Report  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  President, 
George  R.  Kent,  M.  D.,  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  Es- 
sex County  Medical  Society,*  held  May  11,  1891,  to 
take  action  in  regard  to  the  death  of  Dr.  Abraham 
Coles  : 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Society — 

Your  committee,  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  upon  the  death 
of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  would  respectfully  report  the  following  : 

Whereas,  This  Society  has  learned,  with  profound  regret  of  the 
death  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  for  many  years  one  of  its  most  highly 
esteemed  members,  and  at  at  one  time  its  President ;  and, 

Whereas,  We  desire  to  place  upon  record  our  sense  of  the  loss 
we  have  thus  sustained,  as  well  as  to  testify  our  appreciation  of  his 
worth,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  Society  recognizes,  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Coles, 
the  loss  of  one  possessed  of  those  qualities  which  combine  to  make 


26  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

the  true  physician  ;  dignified  in  manner,  courteous,  refined,  pains- 
taking, conscientious,  with  an  innate  gentleness  of  disposition, 
which  caused  him  to  shrink  from  the  infliction  of  unnecessary  pain, 
and  with  an  affability  which  endeared  him  to  those  with  whom  he 
was  brought  into  contact.  He  possessed,  further,  a  skill,  judgment 
and  tact  which  caused  him  to  be  widely  known  to  the  profession, 
and  which  led  to  his  aid  and  counsel  being  extensively  sought  after 
by  his  fellow  practitioners. 

He  was  an  earnest  man,  positive  in  his  convictions,  with  the 
courage  to  carry  them  out.  In  any  step  he  undertook,  he  deliber- 
ated calmly,  judged  wisely  and  acted  energetically.  To  this  deci- 
sion of  character  he  owed  his  success  in  life,  and  much  of  the 
influence  he  exercised  in  the  community  where,  as  a  citizen,  he 
was  respected  and  revered,  and  where  his  loss  will  be  sadly  felt. 

In  the  Church,  he  was  a  sincere  Christian,  firm  in  his  belief, 
and  an  ardent  defender  of  his  faith. 

In  the  world  of  letters  he  attained  enviable  distinction,  and  we 
appreciate  the  honor  thus  conferred  upon  one  of  the  members  of 
our  profession.  Strongly  imbued  with  literary  tastes,  and  with 
mental  endowments  of  a  high  order  and  a  keen  and  analytical 
mind,  he  so  improved  his  natural  talents  by  close  application  and 
careful  study  as  to  gain  for  himself  the  esteem  and  friendship  of 
the  leading  minds  of  the  age. 

But  in  his  domestic  and  social  relations  the  true  character  of  the 
man  showed  itself  to  the  best  advantage.  Those  of  us  who  had  the 
pleasure  of  his  friendship  and  hospitality  can  never  forget  his  warm 
greeting,  his  solicitude  for  the  enjoyment  of  all,  without  exception; 
his  pleasant  conversation  and  humor,  his  genial  manner  and  his 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


27 


remarkable  versatility,  by  which  he  could  so  readily  adapt  himself 
to  a  guest,  whether  child  or  philosopher. 

As  a  friend,  physician,  citizen,  author  and  Christian  man,  his 
death  is  a  public  loss. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  to  his  family  our  sincere  sympathy  in 
their  bereavement,  made  the  more  painful  by  the  circumstances 
under  which  his  death  occurred. 

Resolved,  That  the  Society  attend  his  funeral  as  a  body. 

Resolued,  That  copies  of  these  resolutions  be  furnished  to  his 
family,  and  also  to  the  press,  for  publication. 

Very  respectfully, 

ARTHUR   WARD, 
JOSEPH  D.  OSBORNE, 
JOSEPH  C.  YOUNG. 

The  funeral  services  of  Dr.  Coles  were  held,  May  29th, 
in  Newark,  N.  J.  The  relatives,  clergy  and  honorary 
pall-bearers,  assembled  in  the  Doctor's  venerable  brick 
and  stone  building  on  Market  street,  the  home  of 
his  married  life,  and  the  birthplace  of  his  children. 
After  a  short  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  A.  H.  Burling- 
ham,  the  friends,  in  carriages,  accompanied  the  body  to 
the  First  Baptist  Peddie  Memorial  Church,  where  the 
public  services  were  held,  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  W. 
Boyd,    the   pastor,    presiding,    and    Prof.    Edward    M. 


28  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

Bowman,  the  organist,  taking  charge  of  the  music.  In 
the  account  thereof,  we  quote  from  the  "Daily  Adver- 
tiser :  " 

"  The  building  was  filled  with  relatives  and  citizens,  who  had 
come  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  Dr.  Coles. 
The  New  Jersey  Historical  Society  attended  in  a  body.  After  the 
funeral  march  had  been  played,  and  the  hymn,  '  Ever  With  Thee,' 
sung,  the  Rev.  Dr.  A.  H.  Burlingham,  of  the  Missionary  Union, 
delivered  an  invocation.  He  was  followed  by  Dr.  Parks  of  the 
Scotch  Plains  Baptist  Church,  who  read  the  seventeenth  chapter  of 
St.  John,  a  special  favorite  of  Dr.  Coles.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Robert 
Lowry,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  then  offered  the  following  prayer: 

"'Our  Lord,  our  Father,  we  bend  before  Thee.  Thou  art  our 
Sovereign,  our  Father  and  our  Friend.  When  it  is  dark  we  are  not 
afraid,  Thou  art  near  us;  even  though  we  cannot  see  Thee,  we  turn 
our  eyes  towards  Thee.  Our  hearts  we  lift  up  to  Thee;  we  have  con- 
sciousness of  Thy  presence.  We  do  not  need  to  look  Thee  in  the 
face,  we  feel  that  Thou  art  near,  and  art  here,  more  really  seen  by 
us  than  if  Thou  shouldst  take  our  own  form  and  present  Thyself  to 
our  senses.  Thou  hast  taught  us  this,  so  that  anything  that  comes 
upon  us  in  the  succession  of  life's  experiences  need  not  appall  us, 
for  we  can  afford  to  wait  until  Thy  finger  shall  trace  everything  be- 
fore our  eyes,  and  we  shall  see  the  present  disorder  resolving  itself 
into  forms  of  beauty  because  of  Thy  light.  So  it  comes  to  pass  we 
are  not  afraid  of  death.  All  its  terrors  are  taken  away,  even  though 
the  flesh  may  sometimes  shrink  before  them,  the  nerves  sometimes 
quiver;  even  though  some  natural  desire  should  spring  up  for  the 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


29 


moment  to  stay  a  little  longer  with  those  whom  we  love  upon  the 
earth,  yet  we  lay  our  hand  of  faith  upon  Thy  promises,  and  we 
know  that  all  things  work  together  for  the  good  of  them  that  love 
God.  We  come  to  Thee  now,  not  because  we  have  need  to  tremble 
in  Thy  presence,  but  because  Thou  hast  arrested  us  in  our  own 
highway  of  life  that,  we  may  turn  aside  for  a  moment,  and  think, 
think  more  spiritually,  think  more  tenderly  than  we  are  wont  to 
think,  amid  the  hurry,  and  rush,  and  bustle,  and  dust  of  life. 

"  '  We  pray  Thee,  Lord,  that  Thou  wouldst  give  unto  us  even  at 
this  hour,  that  seems  to  be  dark,  such  revelation  of  Thyself  as  that 
we  shall  see  light  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  shall  shed  His  light  all 
around  us  and  we  shall  have  no  fear. 

"  '  We  thank  Thee,  Oh  Thou  blessed  Providence,  we  thank  Thee 
that  the  dropping  of  a  tear  sometimes  is  consistent  with  the  highest 
degree  of  joy,  that  Thou  dost  Thyself,  as  it  would  seem  to  us,  look 
upon  the  very  tears  that  fall  from  our  eyes  and,  behold,  our  faces 
take  the  kindling  of  Thy  love.  Oh,  give  us  that  shining  now  !  We 
have  had,  some  of  us,  long  years  of  friendship,  companionship  and 
comradeship  with  Thy  servant.  We  have  walked  with  him;  we 
have  talked  with  him;  we  have  been  with  him  in  his  silence;  we 
have  listened  to  what  he  has  said;  we  have  taken  his  counsel;  we 
have  looked  upon  his  life;  we  have  gazed  upon  his  quiet  face  as  it 
presented  itself  before  us;  we  have  looked  at  the  hair  which  was 
whitening  upon  his  head;  we  have  caught  sometimes  something  of 
the  sweet,  precious  spirit  that  animated  him;  and  we  have  felt  at 
such  times  as  if  the  world  was  better  because  he  was  in  it, 
and  we  were  better  because  we  were  near  him.  It  is  a  sweet 
memory  we  have  to-day.  We  should  be  base  in  our  own  eyes 
if  we  did  not  rejoice  that  we  had  such  a  memory;  and  as  we  call  up 


3° 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


the  form  that  became  so  familiar  to  us  with  its  dignity,  with  its 
charm,  with  the  very  sweetness  with  which  it  passed  before  us,  we 
place  a  reverence  on  the  man;  and  it  is  a  glorious  memory  to  us 
that  we  knew  him,  and  were  in  the  circle  of  his  friendship,  and  could 
feel  his  touch,  and  get  something  of  his  blessed  inspiration. 

"  '  Lord,  we  thank  Thee  that  he  came  in  our  day  and  generation, 
a  man  laden  with  such  wealth;  with  such  wealth  of  character;  with 
such  wealth  of  talent;  such  blessed  power  to  catch  Thy  thought  and 
translate  it,  and  send  it  out  to  those  who  might  get  that  thought 
through  him.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  blessed  lines  he  wrote,  quiver- 
ing with  poetic  spirit,  blazing  with  poetic  fire,  setting  us  aflame 
sometimes  when  we  read  them.  We  thank  Thee  for  his  strong 
principles,  for  the  integrity  of  his  character,  the  richness  of  his  life. 

"'Oh,  how  good  Thou  art  to  Thy  people,  good  in  Thy  gifts, 
good  in  Thy  marked  bestowance,  good  in  Thy  generous  providences; 
but,  against  the  background  of  Thy  general  goodness,  comes  out 
this  one  man,  and  we  look  at  him  and  admire  him;  we  get  close  to 
him,  we  bend  our  ear  to  him,  and  try  to  catch  what  he  says;  we 
strive  to  imbibe  the  very  spirit  with  which  he  was  filled.  As  a  great 
circle  of  friends,  we  are  called  upon  to  thank  Thee;  as  a  great  band 
of  religionists,  we  are  called  upon  to  thank  Thee;  as  a  great  commun- 
ity, we  do  thank  Thee,  and  we  pray  Thee  now  that  Thou  wouldst 
graciously  come  to  these  dear  ones  whom  Thou  hast  left  to  us. 
Their  hearts  are  down  low  to-day,  when  they  look  earthward  and 
they  think  of  their  desolate  home;  when  they  think  of  the  places 
which  must  always  now  be  vacant;  when  they  think  of  the  books 
that  he  touched,  and  they  touched  with  him,  and  the  words  that  he 
read  to  them,  and  to  which  they  listened;  the  voice  now  never  to 
sound  in  their  ears  again,  never  to  send  its  thrill  upon  the  strings 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES.  31 

of  their  hearts.  We  pray  for  them.  Be  Thou  their  comfort.  We 
pray  that  Thou  wouldst  go  before  them  as  they  return  to  their 
habitation,  and  meet  them  at  the  door,  and  bid  them  welcome; 
welcome  to  a  place  filled  with  Thyself,  and  with  the  best  and 
sweetest  memories  that  children  can  have  of  a  parent. 

"  'Lord,  hear  and  graciously  guide;  and,  when  flesh  and  heart 
fail,  receive  us,  also,  to  be  with  Thee  amid  Thy  glory,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.     Amen.' 

"Here  followed  the  singing  of  Dr.  Coles'  hymn,  'All 
the  Days,'  by  Mr.  James  Sauvage,  and  a  chorus  of 
selected  voices,  accompanied  by  the  organ. 

"The  Rev.  Charles  F.  Deems,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  of  New 
York,  paid  a  tender  tribute  to  Dr.  Coles'  high  social, 
intellectual  and  spiritual  characteristics.     He  said: 

"  '  A  special  honor  has  been  put  upon  me  by  the  family  in  asking 
me  to  take  part  in  these  services  of  respectful  memory  to  a  man 
whose  name  will  not  soon  be  let  die.  I  come  as  the  President  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Christian  Philosophy,  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  and  to  whose  proceedings  he  made  contributions,  which  will 
be  preserved  many  a  year,  and  which  have  been  read,  as  I  know,  in 
Europe  and  America  with  very  great  satisfaction,  by  men  who  are 
devoting  themselves  to  thinking  along  the  lines  of  Christian  investi- 
gation. 

"  '  I  had  a  friend  once,  a  bishop,  a  very  great  man,  who  said  :  "  I 
would  give  all  I  have  ever  had  in  my  possession,  of  surroundings,  of 


32 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


influence  and  of  position,  to  be  the  author  of  one  hymn."  Well  he 
might.  To  be  the  author  of  one  hymn  that  is  sung  a  hundred  years 
after  a  man's  death,  is  better  than  to  have  been  an  emperor. 
Dr.  Coles  was  that.  With  his  rare  combination  of  talents,  this 
man  would  have  been  the  distinguished  poet  he  was  if  he  had 
devoted  himself  only  to  the  art  of  poetry;  with  his  very  rare 
combination  of  talents  this  man  would  have  been  .distinguished  in 
regions  of  science  had  he  devoted  himself  simply  to  science.  But 
he  combined  them  all  so  as  to  make  a  rounded  and  beautiful  char- 
acter; and  there  was  such  a  sweetness  and  charm  about  the  man  that 
wherever  he  went  he  made  friends. 

"  '  My  first  acquaintance  with  him  was  through  the  study  of  Latin 
hymns.  I  hunted  up  his  works,  and  I  found  that  a  great  many  men 
were  better  acquainted  with  his  reputation  than  I  was  ;  and  then  I 
thought  that  I  would  like  to  see  Abraham  Coles,  and  when  I  did  see 
him  he  was  such  a  winsome  man,  he  was  so  charming,  that  in  five 
minutes  after  I  first  met  him  I  felt  that  somehow  I  must  have  long 
been  a  very  intimate  friend,  such  was  the  nature  of  his  character. 

"  'There  is  a  man  lying  there  whose  fingers  touched  the  chords 
that  brought  responses  from  hearts  in  every  portion  of  the  Christian 
Church  and  of  the  reading  world,  moving  old  and  young,  heretic  and 
orthodox.  Here  amongst  his  brethren,  his  intimates  and  children, 
in  the  name  of  all  that  is  true  in  Christianity;  in  the  name  of  all  that 
is  worth  living  in  life,  of  all  that  is  worth  having  in  death,  of  all  that 
is  worth  gathering  in  eternity;  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church  of  God;  in  the  name  of  all  Christian  people  upon  the  face  of 
the  earth;  in  the  name  of  all  these  many  chords  that  he  has  touched, 
and  that  are  making  response  all  over  the  world  to-day — I  stand  and 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


33 


make  my  salutations  to  my  venerable  brother  as  he  ascends  to  his 
coronation:    Hail,  brother,  hail  and  farewell!  ' 

"The  Rev.  Dr.  Boyd,  at  the  conclusion  of  Dr.  Deems' 
address,  read  a  number  of  letters  from  Protestant  and 
Catholic  clergymen,  and  others,  paying  high  tribute  to 
Dr.  Coles'  worth,  expressing  sympathy  for  the  family 
on  account  of  the  bereavement,  and  regrets  at  inability 
to  be  present  at  the  funeral  services. 

"  '  I  think,'  continued  Dr.  Boyd,  '  Dr.  Coles,  in  the  spirit  of  his 
life — for  you  know  he  was  a  great  admirer  of  Mr.  Lincoln* — came  as 
near  as  any  one  I  ever  knew  to  fulfilling  the  maxim,  "  With  malice 
towards  none,  with  charity  towards  all."  It  is  very  beautiful  to  see 
how  times  of  sorrow  bring  us  all  into  one  communion  of  Christian 
feeling  and  affection,  no  matter  how  widely  we  may  be  separated  in 
our  religious  beliefs;  it  is  a  foretaste  of  the  unity  which  is  beyond. 

♦  During  the  war.  Dr.  Coles  wrote  the  following  sonnet,  now  first  published  : 

Lincoln  !  twice  summoned  to  the  helm  of  state, 

Be  thine  to  bring  a  calm  upon  the  deep, 

In  which  the  eyes  of  war  may  ever  sleep  ! 

Quell  bloody  enmity  and  civil  hate  ! 

From  all  unchristian  broils  and  homicides, 

By  the  religious  sword  of  Justice,  free 

The  land  baptized  anew  to  liberty  ! 

Search  out  where  unrepentant  Treason  hides — 

Thy  soul's  eye  sharpened  with  that  sacred  Light 

Of  whom  the  sun  itself  is  but  a  beam: 

And  be  thou  firm  and  faithful  to  the  Right. 

Though  topt  with  titles,  high  in  men's  esteem, 

To  Virtue's  pilotage  must  thou  resort, 

Else  shipwreck  shall  betide  in  safest  port. 


34  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

"  '  It  now  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  introduce  to  you  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  our  denomination,  Rev.  Dr.  Boardman,  of  Philadelphia, 
in  whose  life  and  spirit  we  have  a  most  beautiful  example  of  this 
sentiment  of  Christian  unity.' 

"The  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman  then  made  the 
concluding  address.     He  said: 

"  'I  do  not  wonder  that  our  revered  friend  was  so  fond  of  the 
chapter  which  has  been  read.  This  chapter,  as  we  all  know,  is  the 
Holy  of  holies  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  Most  High.  How  beautiful  to 
know  that  the  last  night  our  Lord  was  upon  earth  as  a  suffering 
man,  He,  first  of  all,  prayed  for  Himself,  even  though  He  was  the 
Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our  profession.  Yet  there  is  no  tinge 
of  weakness  in  this  prayer.  It  is  hardly  a  prayer.  It  is  the 
request  which  a  co-equal  may  present  to  his  co-equal.  Next, 
He  prays  for  those  who  had  steadfastly  continued  with  Him  in 
His  temptation.  How  beautiful  to  think  that  He  prayed  for 
those  chosen  Eleven,  who,  it  may  be,  were  still  standing  or 
kneeling  with  Him  in  that  room  where  He  had  gathered  the 
representatives  of  His  infant  church.  Lastly,  He  prayed  for  His 
church  universal  through  all  coming  time.  How  comforting  to  know 
that,  having  prayed  for  Himself  and  His  Apostles,  the  Son  of  Man, 
with  that  strange  prescience,  that  blessed  foresight,  which  became 
Him  as  the  Son  of  God,  thought  of  you  and  me,  praying  for  you, 
beloved  children  of  our  noble  friend;  for  you,  his  mourning  relatives; 
you,  members  of  the  church  to  which  he  belonged  and  to  which  he 
was  so  faithful;  even  those  of  you  who  were  associated  with  him  in 
professional  and  in  municipal  ties,  and  for  aught  I  know  in  ties  even 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


35 


more  sacred;  and  for  you,  members  of  that  great  Church  of  the 
Saints  who  call  upon  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  every 
place,  "  their  Lord  and  ours  !  " 

"  '  I  entirely  agree  with  what  my  esteemed  friend,  Dr.  Deems,  has 
said  this  afternoon.  When  a  man  of  God  dies  and  is  taken  to  his 
home,  it  is  a  time  for  hosannahs.  Christ  has  preceded  us  into  glory, 
and  with  our  honored  and  loved  friend  from  New  York  we  may 
truly  say,  to-day  is  the  day  of  triumph. 

"  'This  is  a  touching  memorial  service  which  we  have  had  this 
afternoon.  Here  is  my  friend  from  New  York,  of  another  spiritual 
communion;  here  is  a  letter  representing  the  largest  church  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth,  and  holding  within  its  embrace  thou- 
sands of  the  Lord's  elect  ones;  and  here,  too,  is  a  letter  from  one 
whom,  so  far  as  I  know,  belongs  to  no  earthly  Christian  church 
bearing  any  particular  denominational  name — all  gathered  together 
to  do  honor  and  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  man  of  God.  The  secret 
of  this  is  found  in  that  prayer  which  was  read  to-day,  "Neither  pray 
I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  believe  on  me 
through  their  word."  In  these  days  of  ecclesiastical  tumult  and 
confusion,  of  hurrying  to  and  fro,  it  is  pleasant  to  feel  that  we  are 
moored  in  apostolic  harbors,  or  rather,  in  Christ's  own  Haven, 
"that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee, 
that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us:  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou 
hast  sent  me."  It  is  Jesus  Christ  who  is  the  bond  of  union;  it  is 
Jesus  Christ  who  is  the  germinal  principle  of  the  harvest  which  shall 
come  to  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  '  I  am  not  here  to  pronounce  a  eulogy  on  our  friend.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  in  due  time  there  will  be  the  elaborate  and  proper  tribute 
iii 


36  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

to  the  upright  citizen,  to  the  public-spirited  patriot,  to  the  skillful 
physician,  to  the  erudite  scholar,  to  the  devout  poet,  to  the  Christian 
philanthropist.  Meantime  it  is  for  you  and  for  me  to  join  in  that 
magnificent,  triumphant  retinue  that  are  following  the  Lord  of  the 
Worlds  into  the  rest  which  remains  for  the  people  of  God.' 

"  Here  followed  the  singing  of  Dr.  Coles'  translation 
of  St.  Bernard's  hymn,  '  Jesu  Dulcis  Memoria.' 

"  Dr.  Boyd  said  : 

"  'We  have  received  a  very  beautiful  tribute  to  Dr.  Coles  from  the 
pen  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  McArthur,  of  New  York,  but  as  the  hour  is  get- 
ting late,  and  these  friends  must  go  to  the  place  of  interment,  I  shall 
omit  reading  it,  and  we  may  hope  to  see  it  in  print. 

"  '  As  the  casket  is  borne  from  the  church  after  the  closing  prayer, 
may  I  ask  that  the  audience  remain,  and  may  I  ask  the  choir 
to  sing  at  the  close  of  the  prayer,  these  words  of  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  '  Here  are  partings  and  painful  farewells, 
And  the  sunderings  of  tenderest  ties; 
In  that  heavenly  land  where  He  dwells 
God  shall  wipe  away  tears  from  all  eyes. 

In  the  Sweet  By  and  By, 
We  shall  meet  on  that  beautiful  shore. 

"Here  the  pilgrim  can  scarcely  discern 
The  reward  for  the  tears  that  he  sheds. 
But  the  ransomed  with  joy  shall  return 
With  perpetual  joy  on  their  heads. 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

"  Let  us  pray. 

"  'Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father,  who  hath  given  us  grace 
at  this  time  with  one  accord  to  make  our  common  supplications  unto 
Thee,  and  dost  promise  that  when  two  or  three  are  gathered  together 
in  Thy  name,  Thou  wilt  grant  their  request,  fulfill  now,  we  pray 
Thee,  the  desires  and  petitions  of  Thy  servants,  as  may  be  most 
expedient  for  us,  granting  us  in  this  world  the  knowledge  of  Thy 
truth,  and  in  the  world  to  come,  life  everlasting.     Amen. 

"  'And  now  may  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all. 
Amen.' 

"As  the  casket  was  being  borne  from  the  church,  the 
choir  sang  as  requested,  after  which  the  body,  accom- 
panied by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Boyd  and  the  relatives,  was 
taken  to  Willow  Grove  Cemetery,  New  Brunswick,  and 
placed  beside  that  of  his  wife. 

"The  following  gentlemen  acted  as  honorary  pall- 
bearers :  Vice  Chancellor  Abraham  V.  Van  Fleet, 
Judge  David  A.  Depue,  ex-Chancellor  Theodore  Run- 
yon,  Hon.  Amzi  Dodd,  Hon.  Thomas  N.  McCarter,  Hon. 
Cortlandt  Parker,  Hon.  A.  Q.  Keasbey,  Hon.  F.  W. 
Ricord,  Alexander  H.  Ritchie,  William  Rankin,  Charles 
Kyte,  Noah  Brooks,  Edmund  C.  Stedman,  Wilson 
Schoch,  Spencer  Goble,  Dr.  S.  H.  Pennington,  Dr. 
A.  W.  Rogers,  Dr.  Ezra  M.  Hunt,  Dr.  B.  L.  Dodd,  Dr. 
J.  C.  Young  and  Dr.  T.  H.  Tomlinson." 


38  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  S.  MacArthur,  of  New  York, 
was  invited  to  take  part  in  the  services.  On  account  of 
illness,  he  was  unable  to  attend.  In  a  letter  he  wrote 
as  follows  : 

"  Perhaps  the  words  that  I  enclose  might  be  read  as  expressive 
of  my  appreciation  of  Dr.  Coles'  poetical  genius,  medical  attain- 
ments and  Christian  character. 

"Few  men  have  recently  died  whose  position  and  work  were 
so  unique  as  those  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles.  Seldom  are  so  many 
elements  of  power  united  in  a  single  man.  His  death  caused 
genuine  sorrow  to  wide  and  influential  circles  of  appreciative 
friends.  He  was  a  distinguished  member  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession, having  given  to  it  years  of  devoted  study  and  earnest 
labor  in  its  practical  duties.  His  poetical  genius  was  as  rare 
as  it  was  genuine.  There  is  no  kind  of  literary  fame  so  endur- 
ing as  the  authorship  of  a  noble  hymn.  As  the  author  of  the 
hymn  beginning,  '  From  Thee  Begetting  Sure  Conviction,'  his 
name  will  live,  even  as  he  has  described  the  presence  of  the  Master 
as  continuing  with  His  people,  'All  the  Days.  All  the  Days.'  We 
sang  that  hymn  in  the  Calvary  Church  when  we  first  entered  our 
new  church  home.  We  sing  it  on  many  of  our  anniversary  occa- 
sions. Other  hymns  which  he  has  written  are  doubtless  equally  as 
good,  but  this  one  has  for  me  a  peculiar  charm. 

"  Many  of  his  translations  of  the  Psalms  are  worthy  to  perpetuate 
his  name  to  remote  generations.  I  love  to  read  them  aloud  that  I 
may  get  the  full  force  of  their  rhythm,  as  well  as  the  sweet  influ- 
ence of  their  divine  thought.      His  knowledge  of  general  literature 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


39 


and  especially  of  Latin  hymnology  gives  him  a  special  place  in  the 
thought  and  affection  of  students  of  the  early  days  of  the  Christian 
Church.  But  most  of  all,  his  beautiful  character  as  father,  friend, 
neighbor,  citizen  and  Christian  man  is  worthy  of  the  greatest 
emphasis  on  this  occasion. 

"  I  might  fill  page  after  page  in  expansion  of  this  thought.  He 
has  graduated  from  earth,  and  matriculated  into  a  higher  school  of 
science,  of  poetry,  of  literature,  of  art  and  of  character — in  the 
Celestial  University,  with  the  Lord  Jesus  as  his  instructor.  With  a 
depth  of  meaning  which  we  never  before  appreciated  can  we  now 
read,  with  fresh  interest,  his  hymn  which  he  loved  on  earth,  and 
whose  meaning  he  now  understands  as  never  before  : 

"  '  Ever,  my  Lord,  with  Thee, 

Ever  with  Thee  ! 
Through  all  eternity, 

Thy  face  to  see  ! 
I  count  this  heaven, to  be 
Ever,  my  Lord,  with  Thee, 

Ever  with  Thee  ! '  " 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Theodore  L.  Cuyler,  being  also  pre- 
vented from  attending  the  funeral  services,  wrote  as 
follows: 

"  Brooklyn,  May  28th,  1891. 

"I  wish  I  could  be  present  and  offer  my  humble  and  heartfelt 
tribute  to  the  spiritually-minded  Christian,  the  cultured  scholar 
and  the  zealous  reformer,  who  was  so  widely  known  and  loved. 


4° 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


"  My  first  knowledge  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles  was  from  a  tribute 
once  paid  to  him  by  the  brilliant  and  erudite  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  R. 
Williams,  of  New  York.  It  was  a  well-deserved  commendation  of 
his  fine  rendering  of  the  '  Dies  Irae.'  When  I  have  given  out  from 
my  pulpit  Dr.  Coles'  beautiful  hymn,  'All  the  Days,'  I  have  told 
my  congregation  something  about  the  noble  man  who  composed  it. 
How  well  I  now  recall  his  fine,  handsome,  benignant  face  ;  and  his 
courteous  manners  and  instructive  conversation.  He  is  now  up 
among  the  singers  of  the  'new  song,'  and  wears  his  well-won 
crown." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Philip  Schaff,  Honorary  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  of  the  United 
States,  was  invited  to  preach  the  funeral  sermon;  being 
absent,  however,  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  he  was  unable 
to  be  present.     In  a  letter  to  the  family,  he  wrote: 

"  Could  I  by  any  possibility  have  attended  the  funeral  of  your 
venerable  father,  I  would  have  done  so  and  performed  the  sad  and 
solemn  duty  of  preaching  the  funeral  sermon,  as  you  wished  me  to 
do.  As  it  is,  I  can  only  express  my  sincere  condolence  and  to 
thank  you  for  the  honor  you  have  done  me  by  your  request.  Your 
good  father  has  enjoyed  a  green  old  age,  and  left  you  the  precious 
legacy  of  a  spotless  character  and  useful  life,  beautified  by  the 
charm  of  sacred  poetry  and  song.  I  had  known  his  translations  of 
Latin  hymns  for  many  years  before  I  had  the  pleasure  of  making 
his  personal  acquaintance  on  that  memorable  visit  to  your  delight- 
ful home." 


ME  MORI  A  L    TRIB  U  TE  S. 


41 


The  following  was  received  from  the  Rev.  Richard  S. 
Storrs,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  of  Brooklyn: 

"Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  May  28th,  1891. 
"  Dr.  Storrs  regrets  his  inability  to  attend  the  funeral  services 
of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  for  whom  he  had  a  sincere  and  high  regard, 
on  account  of  other  appointments  for  Friday,  the  29th  inst.  He  is 
grateful  for  the  courtesy  which  numbers  him  among  those  to  whom 
notice  of  the  services  was  sent." 

James  Russell  Lowell,  between  whom  and  Dr.  Coles 
there  existed  a  sincere  and  affectionate  admiration, 
wrote  as  follows  : 

"Elmwood,  Cambridge,  May  28th,  1891. 

"  I  regret  very  much  that  I  cannot  share  in  the  sad  function 
(that  of  pall-bearer),  with  an  invitation  to  which  I  have  been 
honored  by  the  family  of  the  late  Dr.  Coles.  But  my  health  will 
not  permit  it." 

The  above  was  one  of  the  latest  notes  penned  by  the 
distinguished  "poet  and  patriot." 

Mrs.  Mabel  Lowell  Burnett,  daughter  of  James  Rus- 
sell Lowell,  wrote  from  Elmwood,  Cambridge,  to  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  My  father  has  been  for  some  time  so  ill  that  he  has  not  been 
able  to  write  any  letters.  *  *  *  *  I  think  it  better  to  write 
myself  to  tell  you  of  his  illness,  as  a  reason  for  his  not  giving  you 
the  sympathy  which  he  would  feel  for  you  in  your  deep  sorrow." 


42 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


William  Dean  Howells  wrote  as  follows  to  the  family 
of  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  Boston,  May  29th,  1891. 

"  Your  letter  offering  me  the  privilege  of  acting  as  pall-bearer 
at  your  father's  funeral  reached  me  duly  to-day.  You  will  believe 
that  I  was  touched  and  honored  by  your  thought  of  me,  and  I  am 
sorry  that  I  could  not  respond  by  my  presence  at  the  sad  occasion. 
I  need  not  praise  your  father  to  you,  or  try  to  tell  you  how  much 
you  have  lost.  All  who  ever  saw  his  benign  face  must  share  your 
loss,  but  you  alone  know  how  great  it  is.  My  wife  joins  me  in 
cordial  sympathy." 

In  reply  to  a  request  to  act  as  one  of  the  pall-bearers 
at  the  memorial  service,  Justice  Bradley,  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court,  wrote  as  follows  : 

"Washington,  D.  C,  May  29th,  1891. 

"  I  was  very  sorry  that  I  could  not  comply  with  your  wish  that  I 
should  act  as  one  of  the  pall-bearers  of  your  father.  He  was  one 
of  my  warmest  friends,  for  whom  I  had  not  only  the  highest 
esteem,  but  affectionate  friendship.  We  walked  side  by  side  in  the 
path  of  life  for  more  than  half  a  century,  with  the  warmest  mutual 
regard.  I  have  been  separated  lately  somewhat  by  official  duties 
here,  but  it  has  never  interrupted  our  friendship. 

"  I  tender  you  my  sincerest  sympathies  for  the  loss  of  so  excel- 
lent a  father,  and  beg  to  express  my  own  heartfelt  sorrow  for  the 
breaking  of  another  link  that  connected  me  with  many  past  asso- 
ciations and  happy  recollections." 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


43 


Alexander  Hay  Ritchie,  artist  and  engraver,  one  of 
"Scotia's  Sons,"  a  "friend  of  the  poet,  tried  and  leal," 
wrote  : 

"  Sorrowfully  and  humbly  I  accept  the  honor  the  family  of  Dr. 
Abraham  Coles  has  done  me,  by  their  kind  invitation  to  act  as  pall- 
bearer of  their  honored  father." 

Samuel  H.  Pennington,  M.  D.,  says  : 

"You  do  not  overestimate  the  warm  affection  I  had  for  my  friend, 
your  honored  and  beloved  father,  whose  decease  I  sincerely  deplore. 
It  will  afford  me  melancholy  satisfaction  to  render  the  service  to 
which  you  kindly  invite  me." 

Hon.  A.  Q.  Keasbey  wrote  : 

"  I  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  testify  my  sympathy  for 
you,  and  my  regard  for  the  memory  of  my  old  friend,  by  sharing  in 
the  final  tribute  on  Friday." 

Alexander  W.  Rogers,  M.  D.,  a  venerable  and  dis- 
tinguished physician,  of  Paterson,  N.  J.,  from  early 
boyhood  an  intimate  and  cordial  friend  of  Dr.  Coles, 
writes  : 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say,  or  how  to  think,  of  my  changed 
relations  to  my  dear  friend,  your  father.  He  is  not  dead,  nor  does 
he  sleep.  That  mind,  which  was  always  so  active  in  thinking  about 
the  great,  and  high,  and  blessed   things,  which   pertained  to  life  and 


44  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

godliness,  and  how  to  make  his  fellow  mortals  have  better  and 
higher  aspirations — so  active  that  he  took  less  natural  sleep  than 
others — does  not  lie  dormant.  True,  in  one  sense,  he  '  sleeps  in 
Jesus';  he  has  that  'blessed  sleep,'  which  is  rest  from  all  labor  and 
toil.  He  thinks,  and  soars  aloft  in  contemplation,  without  effort  or 
fatigue;  no  longer  any  painful,  tiresome  research  in  old  books,  or 
new,  for  true  ideas;  or  labored  trial  for  the  most  proper  expression 
of  accumulated  lore.  He  now  knows  as  he  is  known,  and  has  an 
angel  tongue;  and,  more  than  when  here,  I  believe,  he  can  voice  the 
adoration  of  his  God,  and  chant  the  glory  of  his  Redeemer.  I  think 
of  him  as  gone  on  a  journey,  or,  for  a  residence  in  a  happier  clime, 
where  we  hope  to  meet  him  by  and  by.  While  we  have  the  same,  or 
more,  tender  regard  for  him  that  we  have  always  had,  we  know  that 
he  has  the  same  for  us;  and  being  so  much  nearer  to  our  great  Friend, 
from  whom  we  receive  all  that  is  good,  will  he  not  remember  us,  and 
our  highest  needs?  We  give,  or  offer  up,  no  prayer  for  the  dead — 
they  are  beyond  our  help,  beyond  any  need  from  us — but  may  they 
not  aid  us  ?  It  is  certain  that  their  presence,  in  the  better  land,  should 
be  a  stimulative  to  all  our  higher  aspirations,  that  we  may  be  pre- 
pared to  join  them  there." 

Noah  Brooks,  "  Castine,"  author,  editor  of  the  Newark 
"Daily  Advertiser,"  etc.,  wrote  : 

"  I  reply  at  once  to  your  request  to  act  as  one  of  the  pall-bearers 
at  the  funeral  of  your  lamented  father.  If  it  will  give  you  any 
satisfaction  to  have  me  take  this  melancholy  duty,  you  may  be  sure 
I  will  do  it.  With  sympathy  for  you  in  your  great  loss,  I  am, 
yours  truly." 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


45 


The  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  Catholic  Arch- 
bishop of  New  York,  in  addition  to  words  appreciatory 
of  Dr.  Coles  as  a  translator  of  Latin  hymns,  says  : 

"  I  remember  your  good  father  with  great  respect,  and  will 
always  cherish  his  memory  with  reverence.  He  was  a  good  neigh- 
bor and  a  kind  friend." 

J.  Marron  Dundas,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  writes  : 

"Word  has  just  reached  me  of  the  death  of  your  honored 
father,  Dr.  A.  Coles.  As  a  lover  of  classical  literature  and  an 
unworthy  member  of  that  church  which  gave  birth  to  the  '  Dies 
Irse,'  permit  me,  though  a  stranger,  to  sympathize  with  yourself 
and  family  in  your  great  sorrow.  All  lovers  of  learning  will  feel 
his  loss.  All  Catholics  who  knew  the  man  or  his  works  will 
murmur  with  my  humble  self,  requiescat  in  pace." 

The  Hon.  John  Wanamaker,  Postmaster  General,  sent 
the  following  from  Washington,  D.  C: 

"I  sympathize  with  you  most  truly  in  the  sorrow  that  has  come 
upon  ycu.'' 

The  poet  Whittier  writes  from  Amesbury,  Mass.,  June 
3d,  1891: 

"  Illness  has  prevented  me  from  writing  some  word  express- 
ing my  sympathy  with  the  many  who  mourn  the  death  of  a 
great   and   good    man,    who   has   left   us   a   legacy   of   inestimable 


46  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

worth,  some  of  the  sweetest  of  Christian  hymns.  His  'All  the 
Days '  and  his  '  Ever  With  Thee '  are  immortal  songs.  It  is 
better  to  have  written  them  than  the  stateliest  of  epics.  With  him 
it  is  well.  Thy  aged  friend, 

"John  G.  Whittier." 


Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  writes  as  follows  : 

"  Boston,  June  gth,  1891. 

"  I  should  reproach  myself  for  not  having  written  to  you  before 
this  had  not  my  time  been  taken  up  with  cares  and  griefs  which  gave 
me  so  much  to  think  of  that  I  could  claim  forgiveness  for  many 
omissions  which  seemed  like  negligence.  *  *  *  *  The  death 
of  your  father  puts  out  another  light  in  the  fast-gathering  evening 
shadows.  I  have  always  considered  it  a  great  privilege  to  enjoy 
the  friendship  of  so  pure  and  lofty  a  spirit — a  man  who  seemed  to 
breathe  holiness  as  his  native  atmosphere,  and  to  carry  its  influ- 
ences into  his  daily  life.  What  precious  memories  you  have  to 
carry  with  you  all  your  life;  not  only  that  there  was  no  line  which 
dying  he  could  have  wished  to  blot,  but  that  there  was  no  line 
which  the  purest  of  God's  angels,  looking  over  his  shoulder,  would 
not  have  looked  upon  approvingly. 

"  It  is  a  blessed  record  your  father  has  left.  His  memory  will 
long  be  cherished  as  one  of  our  truest  and  sweetest  singers;  and  the 
most  precious  of  consolations,  now  that  he  is  not  with  you  in  bodily 
presence,  is  in  remembering  all  that  he  has  been." 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


47 


Mrs.  Benjamin  Harrison,  the  wife  of  the  President  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  wrote  to  the  daughter  of 
Dr.  Coles  as  follows  : 

"  Executive  Mansion,  Washington,  D.  C. 
"  I  was  very  much  surprised  and  learned  with  much  sorrow  of  the 
death  of  your  father.  From  what  you  said,  I  presumed  he  was  not 
well,  but  had  no  idea  the  end  was  so  near.  Death,  however,  often 
takes  our  friends  when  we  least  expect  it.  You  have  my  warmest 
sympathy  in  your  desolation  and  sorrow;  but  you  also  have  the  con- 
solation of  knowing  that  his  wish  is  realized,  '  Ever,  My  Lord, 
With  Thee.'  " 

Julia  Ward  Howe  writes  : 

"  I  heard  of  the  death  (of  Doctor  Abraham  Coles)  with  sincere 
regret.  The  good  Doctor  had  always  been  most  kind  to  me  and 
mine.  *  *  *  *  The  public  recognition  of  his  merits  as  a  poet 
and  as  a  man  of  letters  will  not  fill  the  void  he  has  left." 

Florence  Howe  Hall,  a  daughter  of  Julia  Ward 
Howe,  and  a  resident  of  Scotch  Plains,  contributed  to 
one  of  the  leading  journals  the  following  testimonial  : 

"  There  have  been  numerous  tributes  to  the  worth  and  nobility  of 
character,  the  scholarly  tastes  and  attainments,  of  Dr.  Abraham 
Coles,  'poet,  man  of  letters  and  physician.'  Among  the  'wreaths 
of  laurel  and  holly'  there  is  still  perhaps  room  for  a  plain  'spray 
of  Western  pine ' — and  I  fain  would  say  a  few  words  of  him,  as  I 


48  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

knew  him — as  kind  friend  and  neighbor,  as  a  gentleman  whose 
courtesy  of  manner  was  only  equalled  by  its  simplicity,  and  above 
all,  as  'the  good  physician' — the  man  whose  mission  it  was  to 
save  life,  to  battle  with  and  conquer  disease.  How  nobly  he  ful- 
filled his  duties  as  a  high  priest  of  the  great  art  of  healing,  hun- 
dreds, perhaps  thousands,  know — his  colleagues,  above  all,  his 
grateful  patients,  know. 

"  In  time  of  trouble  he  was  a  tower  of  strength.  If  a  beloved 
child  fell  ill,  we  felt  safe  when  the  'old  Doctor' (as  he  was  affec- 
tionately called)  crossed  the  threshold — and  in  his  green  old  age 
there  yet  abode  the  power  and  wisdom  to  save  and  heal,  as  his 
revered  Master  was  wont  to  save  and  heal.  Ever  watchful,  ever 
alert,  anxious  with  the  anxiety  born  of  wide  knowledge  and  long 
experience,  yet  brave  and  firm  as  became  a  man  of  undaunted 
courage  and  well-proved  skill,  he  met  the  enemy — disease — at 
every  point,  and  through  the  long  struggle  his  assiduity  never 
flagged,  his  resource  never  failed  him.  As  I  look  back  upon  a 
certain  hideous  winter,  when  I  lay  on  a  bed  of  pain,  prostrated 
by  a  fever  that  would  not  yield,  I  feel  that  to  him  I  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  that  can  never  be  paid — I  owe  him  my  life  !  Although 
Dr.  Coles  was  at  this  time  seventy-three  years  of  age,  and  the 
winter  was  a  very  severe  one,  the  weather  stormy,  the  ground 
covered  with  ice  and  snow,  this  kind  physician  and  true  friend 
came  to  see  me  twice  a  day,  through  cold  and  wind  and  storm. 
Sometimes  I  would  beg  him  not  to  expose  himself  in  such  inclement 
weather,  but  he  refused  to  spare  himself — he  felt  that  his  duty  was 
to  his  patient. 

"A  little  boy,  a  son  of  a  neighborof  ours,  lay  dying  of  diphtheria 
some  years  ago.    The  physician  in  attendance  gave  up  all  hope,  but 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


49 


the  father  of  the  child  asked  leave  to  call  Dr.  Coles  in  consultation. 
He  came  and  saw  that  heroic  measures  alone  could  save  the  little 
life.  With  those  wonderfully  skillful  fingers  of  his,  he  performed 
the  necessary  operations  on  the  poor  little  throat — his  courage  and 
calmness  did  not  fail  him  in  the  crisis — the  child  is  alive  and 
well  to-day  ! 

"A  friend,  whose  face  was  stained  with  weeping,  said  to  me,  at 
this  good  man's  funeral,  '  I  always  have  thought  my  D — ,  my 
darling  child,  would  have  lived  if  Dr.  Coles  could  have  been  with 
him.'  This  was  the  universal  feeling  among  the  patients — perfect 
faith  in  him  who  'kept  the  faith'  so  nobly.  His  tenderness 
with  little  children  made  them  all  willing  to  come  to  him,  and  his 
wonderful  skill  as  a  nurse  enabled  many  a  weary  mother  to  arrange 
bandages  and  persuade  the  child  to  swallow  unpleasant  potions,  in 
spite  of  the  latter's  decided  aversion  to  doing  so.  A  beautiful 
friendship  subsisted  between  him  and  a  little  girl  of  three  or  four 
years  of  age,  who  always  spoke  of  him  as  'her  dear  Doctor.' 
When  her  parents  moved  away  from  Scotch  Plains,  the  little  one 
was  well  nigh  inconsolable  at  the  separation.  She  talked  much 
and  often  of  her  dear  old  friend — longed  to  see  him  again,  and 
kept,  among  her  most  treasured  possessions,  a  sweet  little  poem 
which  he  addressed  to  her. 

"A  man  of  unfailing  courtesy,  the  modesty  and  simplicity  of  his 
demeanor  were  so  great  that  he  seemed  like  one  receiving  favors, 
where  he  was  really  conferring  them.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  visit 
him  in  his  beautiful  library,  surrounded  by  the  books  that  he  so 
dearly  loved.  He  always  had  some  new  or  interesting  book  to 
show,  and  when  the  visit  was  over,  he  insisted  upon  accompanying 
his  visitors  not  only  to  the  door  of  his  house,  but  to  the  gateway  of 


5° 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


his  beautiful  place.  We  would  remonstrate,  but  in  vain,  and  he 
sometimes  would  make  this  little  pilgrimage  bareheaded;  bare,  that 
is,  save  for  the  noble  fleece  of  silver-white  hair  that  crowned  his 
fine,  massive  head. 

"Although  so  much  of  his  time,  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life, 
was  spent  in  his  study  and  by  his  own  fireside,  Dr.  Coles  was  of  a 
social  nature,  and  seemed  thoroughly  to  enjoy  the  reunions  when 
we  had  the  pleasure  and  privilege  of  being  entertained  beneath  his 
roof,  or  of  meeting  him  at  the  houses  of  his  friends.  His  fine  mind 
and  genial  disposition  made  him  very  agreeable  in  conversation, 
and  he  was  an  attentive  listener  as  well  as  a  good  converser.  As 
might  have  been  expected  in  one  whose  mental  faculties  were  so 
alert  and  active,  he  had  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  He  thoroughly 
appreciated  a  good  story,  and  no  touch  of  satire,  however  delicate, 
was  fine  enough  to  escape  his  instant  comprehension.  The 
responsive  twinkle  of  merriment  in  those  bright  gray  eyes,  the 
quiver  of  the  sensitive  mouth,  and  often  a  little  quiet,  half-sup- 
pressed laughter,  showed  his  appreciation  of  jest  or  bon  mot. 
Though  a  man  of  deep  religious  feeling,  and  one  who  thought 
much  about  the  inner  and  the  future  life,  Dr.  Coles  was  also  a  man 
of  the  world,  in  the  good  sense  of  those  words.  His  experience  of 
men  and  affairs  had  been  large  and  wide,  and  lifted  him  far  above 
the  petty  spirit  which  can  understand  and  appreciate  only  a  narrow 
range  of  men  and  ideas. 

"  His  dominant  and  eminent  personality  is  so  indissolubly  asso- 
ciated in  our  minds  with  the  beautiful  grounds  and  noble  trees 
whose  shade  was  so  dear  to  him,  that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  of 
his  home  apart  from  himself.  Though  we  shall  not  again  see  his 
earthly  form  wandering  among  the  familiar  paths  of   '  Deerhurst,' 


p 

H     O 


MEMORIA  L    TRIB  U  TE  S. 


51 


we  shall  always  lovingly  associate  him  with  those  acres  whose 
beauty  he  created,  with  those  trees  which  grew  up  under  his 
watchful  care. 

"  His  fine,  strong,  yet  tender,  spirit  has  left  us  for  the  world  of 
which  he  loved  to  think.  We  miss  him  sadly  from  his  accustomed 
places — his  loss  throws  a  shadow  on  the  beauty  of  the  spring.  But 
we  rejoice  that  he  lived  among  us,  that  here  he  fought  the  good 
fight,  and  left  us  a  shining  example  of  the  faithful  performance  of 
duty  which  we  would  strive  to  emulate  !  " 

Mrs.  Julia  Parmly  Billings,  (widow  of  Hon.  Frederick 
Billings),  prominent  in  good  works,  writes  to  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Coles  from  Woodstock,  Vermont: 

"  Let  me  assure  you  of  my  deep  sympathy  in  the  loss,  which  must 
leave  your  home  sad  and  lonely.  For  your  father,  '  the  good  physi- 
cian '  and  noble  man,  I  felt  the  greatest  esteem.  My  children,  also, 
mourn  for  their  father,  for  this  is  their  first  summer  without  him. 
May  the  same  precious  faith  that  sustained  them  both  be  your 
heritage." 

The  Hon.  Cortlandt  Parker,  LL.  D.,  in  his  letter  of 
acceptance,  wrote  : 

"Of  course  I  will  be  one  of  the  pall-bearers  at  your  father's 
funeral.  It  will  be  a  sorrowful  satisfaction  to  me.  Your  father  was 
a  very  old  friend  of  mine.  I  think  he  was  a  student  of  medicine 
when  I  was  in  the  law  office  of  my  preceptor.  If  not,  he  had  only 
just  begun  his  practice.  Judge  Joseph  P.  Bradley,  Mr.  Frederick 
IV 


52 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


Theodore  Frelinghuysen  and  myself  resuscitated  an  almost  dead 
literary  and  debating  society,  and  among  its  earliest  members 
was  your  father.  He  was  an  earnest  and  painstaking  member. 
He  was  distinguished  from  the  beginning  in  composition.  I 
remember  his  essays  well.  I  remember  his  fervid  piety,  manly, 
outspoken,  yet  humble  and  unpretentious,  then  as  always.  We 
became  warm  friends.  It  is  a  pride,  with  me,  that  we  always 
remained  such. 

"Your  father's  character  seems  to  me  to  have  been  made  up  of 
three  things — humility,  sense  of  duty  and  manliness.  What  his 
hand  found  to  do,  he  did  with  his  might,  and  he  never  held 
back  from  the  avowal  or  support  of  his  opinions.  His  self- 
education  was  constant.  Not  a  day,  as  I  think,  but  he  was 
busy,  going  forward  in  his  own  way  intellectually.  And  his 
success  all  know.  You  say  little  when  you  say  that  he  was  fully 
prepared  for  the  change.  A  firmer,  humbler,  more  sincere  believer 
in  his  Saviour  and  the  salvation  He  died  to  give  us  never  lived. 

'  He  is  a  great  loss — though  he  lived  so  long,  and  his  death  was 
to  be  expected,  when  it  came  it  was  a  shock  to  all  who  knew  him. 
The  world  goes  on,  unconscious  of  its  losses.  But  they  are  losses, 
nevertheless." 

Rev.    Robert    Lowry,    D.    D.,    of    Plainfield,    N.    J., 
writes  : 

'■  It  was  a  great  privilege  for  me  to  be  present  at  the  services  in 
Newark.  Under  any  circumstances,  I  would  have  found  a  way  of 
contributing  the  testimony  of  my  presence  to  the  exalted  worth  of 
the  citizen  and  friend  who  had   so  sadly  been   taken  from  us.     To 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


53 


have  an  actual  participation  in  the  last  solemn  rites  was  indeed  a 
great  though  sorrowful  satisfaction.  I  felt  as  though  I  wanted  to  lift 
up  my  voice  before  that  gathering  of  sincere  mourners,  and  tell  them 
how  this  man  had  impressed  himself  on  my  life,  and  what  lofty 
conceptions  of  intellectual  and  Christian  life  had  been  stirred  within 
me  in  personal  contact  with  him.  It  was  a  sweet  and  sad  occasion 
to  me,  and  I  realized  how  much  one  man  was  worth  to  his 
fellow-men." 

Dr.  Coles,  on  his  fifty-eighth  birthday  (December 
26th,  1871),  was  agreeably  surprised  to  receive  from  the 
Rev.  James  McCosh,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  then  President  of 
Princeton  College,  the  following  communication  : 

"  Princeton,  N.  J.,  Dec.  23d,  1871. 
"  Dr.  Abraham  Coles: 

"  Dear  Sir — I  have  great  pleasure  in  intimating  that  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  did  on  the  20th  inst.  confer 
on  you  the  honorary  degree  of  LL.  D.,  to  mark  their  appreciation  of 
your  literary  ability.'' 

On  June  5th,  1891,  Dr.  McCosh  wrote  to  the  family  of 
Dr.  Coles  : 

"I  had  great  respect  and  affection  for  your  father.  His  poetry 
was  of  so  lofty  a  type  that  he  deserved  the  honorary  degree  (LL.  D.) 
conferred  upon  him.  *  *  *  *  He  has  set  you  a  fine  example. 
I  feel  much  for  you  under  your  sad  privation.  I  myself  must  soon 
follow  those  who  have  gone  before." 


5 4  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

Richard  W.  Gilder  writes  as  follows  : 

"  Editorial  Department,  the  Century  Magazine, 
"Union  Square,  New  York. 
"  Illness  prevented  my  writing  to  you  at  the  time  of  your  father's 
death,  but  I  cannot  refrain  from  still  saying  a  word  to  you  of  appre- 
ciation of  his  character  and  talent,  and  of  his  personal  kindness  to 
me  when  I  was  a  youth  in  Newark.  He  was  one  of  the  true  men  of 
this  world — a  good  friend,  a  good  citizen,  a  poet,  a  man.  His  per- 
sonal presence  was  remarkable — a  mingling  of  sweetness  and 
dignity.  He  felt  with  the  crowd,  with  the  masses  of  humanity;  but 
lived  in  an  atmosphere  to  which  few  of  them  could  attain — high 
above  them.  I  have  seldom  met  such  a  character.  The  world  is 
poorer  in  his  loss,  though  still  holding  in  many  ways  the  product  of 
his  refined  nature  and  upright  example." 

Rev.  Wayland  Hoyt,  D.  D.,  writes  from  Minneapolis, 

Minnesota  : 

"A  good,  true  and  endearing  life  has  gone  to  its  crowning. 
*     *     *     *     I  am>  most  sincerely  yours." 

"The  Critic"  (N.  Y.),  in  its  issues  of  May  9th  and 
June  20th,  says  : 

"There  was  no  more  scholarly  man  in  New  Jersey  than  Dr. 
Abraham  Coles,  who  was  best  known  for  his  translations  of  the 
'  Dies  Irse.'  Although  he  practiced  medicine  in  Newark,  he  made  his 
home  at  Scotch  Plains,  N.  J.  The  name  of  his  place,  'Deerhurst,' 
was  given  to  it  because  of  its  deer  park,  in  which  the  owner  kept  a 


X 


4 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


55 


fine  herd  of  these  beautiful  animals.  Dr.  Coles'  library  or  study  at 
Deerhurst  was  an  ideal  room,  not  only  on  account  of  the  scholar's 
library  it  contained,  but  because  of  its  architectural  attractions,  the 
plentiful  light  coming  from  the  top,  its  inviting  fire-place  and  its  easy 
chairs.  Dr.  Coles  was  devoted  to  his  home,  and  nothing  delighted 
him  more  than  to  entertain  his  friends  there.  I  well  remember  one 
afternoon  some  fifteen  years  ago,  when  a  party  of  ten  of  us  drove 
over  from  Newark  and  stopped  to  pay  our  respects,  Dr.  Coles  being 
our  family  physician  at  the  time.  Although  we  were  unexpected 
guests,  neither  Dr.  Coles  nor  his  daughter  would  listen  to  our  return- 
ing home  until  we  had  had  our  supper.  If  preparations  had  been 
making  for  a  week,  we  could  not  have  had  a  more  bountiful  or 
better  served  meal,  nor  a  better  time;  but  that  goes  without 
saying,  for  Dr.  Coles  was  as  delightful  as  a  host  as  he  was  gifted 
as  a  poet." 


Frederick  W.  Ricord,  author  and  poet,  Librarian  of 
the  New  Jersey  Historical  Society,  etc.,  wrote: 

"  For  your  dear  father  I  cherished  the  tender  affection  of  a 
brother.  To  him  in  my  early  life  I  hesitated  not  to  go  for  aid  and 
counsel,  and  with  a  brother's  solicitude,  he  always  welcomed  me 
with  open  arms.  You  may  be  sure  that  the  announcement  of 
his  departure  gave  me  a  pang  such  as  the  heart  receives  but 
seldom  during  even  a  lengthened  lifetime.  *  *  *  *  I  ask 
for  no  more  blissful  heaven  than  that  to  which  your  dearly  beloved 
father  has  gone." 


5 6  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

The  Rev.  Wendell  Prime,  D.  D.,  editor  of  the  "New 
York  Observer,"  writes  from  "Bonnie  Corner,"  Haw- 
thorne avenue,  Yonkers,  N.  Y.: 

"Again  and  again,  I  am  led  to  think  of  your  beloved  and  gifted 
father,  and  the  sorrow  that  such  a  life  leaves,  with  its  bright- 
ness added  to  the  heavenly  glory.  Ere  long  the  same  grace  shall 
make  it  ours  also." 

Mary  J.  Porter,  associate  editor  of  the  "  Christian 
Intelligencer,"  writes  from  Bridgewater,  Mass.: 

"  The  daily  papers  bring  the  sad  news  of  your  great  loss.  *  *  * 
I  shall  always  be  glad  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  in  Dr.  Coles' 
society.  He  was  so  stately  in  presence,  so  calm  in  action,  so  con- 
siderate of  the  happiness  of  others,  that  one  recognized  in  him  at 
once  a  prince  among  men." 

Rev.  Edward  P.  Terhune,  D.  D.,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
writing  for  himself  and  in  behalf  of  his  accomplished 
wife,  "  Marion  Harland,"  says  : 

"When  the  announcement  of  the  death  of  your  dear  father 
appeared,  both  Mrs.  Terhune  and  myself  were  greatly  shocked. 
For  the  many  years  of  our  residence  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  he  was  a 
frequent  visitor  at  our  home,  always  bringing  to  us  his  own  genial 
spirit  and  cheer,  and  was  welcome  as  one  of  our  best  friends.  Since 
our  removal,  we  had  cherished  the  remembrance  of  those  days;  but 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


57 


our  occasional   reunions  always  gladdened  us  and  left  the  pleasant 
savor  of  those  earlier  ties. 

"Our  sympathy  with  you  is  most  hearty.  I  desire  to  bear  my 
testimony  to  the  nobility  of  your  father's  character,  to  his  combined 
strength  and  gentleness,  as  well  as  to  his  marked  talent  and  scholar- 
ship. We  had  been  associated  in  circumstances  that  heightened  my 
appreciation  of  him  both  as  the  man  and  the  Christian." 

The  Rev.  George  M.  Van  Derlip,  a  member  of  the 
Century  Club,  surprised  Dr.  Coles,  in  July,  1890,  at 
Deerhurst,  with  a  gift,  bearing  the  inscription,  "To 
Abraham  Coles,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Scholar  and  Poet,  with 
the  respects  of  the  Century  Association,  New  York." 
After  the  Doctor's  death,  he  wrote  : 

"  Century  Club,  7  West  43d  St.,  New  York. 
"  I  feel  the  loss  of  your  father  to  be  a  personal  deprivation  as  well 
as  grief.  I  was  very  glad  I  could  arrange  to  be  at  the  funeral.  I 
have  seldom,  almost  never,  seen  such  an  array  of  distinguished 
looking  men,  thoughtful,  experienced  and  so  beautiful.  Your  father's 
hymn,  'All  the  Days,'  was  admirably  sung,  and  the  refrain  was  given 
with  great  tenderness.  Indeed,  the  occasion  so  mournful  must  be  a 
sweet  memory,  and  was  a  genuine  tribute  to  one  of  the  saintliest 
and  most  eminent  of  the  men  of  the  time.  His  blessedness  is  com- 
plete. I  talked  with  Dr.  Schaff  for  half  an  hour  a  week  since.  His 
admiration  and  regard  for  your  father  were  sincere  and  enthusiastic. 
He  deeply  regretted  his  absence  in  the  West  at  the  time  of  the 
funeral." 


5 8  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

The  Rev.  Charles  S.  Robinson,  D.  D.,  of  New  York 
City,  wrote  : 

"I  am  very  grateful  to  the  family  and  friends  who  send  me  an 
invitation  to  be  present  at  the  funeral  services  of  Dr.  Abraham 
Coles.  I  have  always  had  the  highest  regard  for  him,  and  I  shall 
distinctly  mourn  his  unexpected  death.  I  cannot  be  present  at  the 
services  on  Friday;  this  I  say  with  real  regret.  I  wish  my  condol- 
ence to  be  given,  and  my  most  respectful  regards  to  be  proffered  to 
those  who  are  bereaved." 


Gen.  Theodore  Runyon,  ex-Chancellor  of  New  Jersey, 
writes  : 

"  We  were  very  much  pained  to  learn  of  the  death  of  your  honored 
and  distinguished  father,  and  my  wife  and  I  beg  to  tender  to  you  the 
assurance  of  our  sincere  sympathy  and  condolence  in  your  great 
affliction." 


The  Rev.  Henry  Clay  Trumbull,  D.  D.,  of  Philadel- 
phia, editor  of  the  "  Sunday  School  Times,"  though 
well-nigh  crushed  with  the  weight  of  his  own  burden  of 
grief  and  trial,  wrote  : 

"  I  loved  and  honored  your  dear  father,  and  his  saintly  memory  is 
precious  to  me,  as  to  many  others.  May  God's  blessing  be  with  you 
'All  the  Days.'  " 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


59 


Hiram  H.  Tichenor,  M.  D.,  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  writes: 

"  It  was  my  melancholy  duty  to  attend  the  special  meeting  of 
the  Essex  County  Medical  Society,  held  in  reference  to  the  death 
of  your  lamented  father.  Let  me  say  that,  during  my  nearly  forty 
years'  connection  with  the  Society,  I  never  saw  an  exhibition  of 
deeper  sorrow  than  on  that  occasion." 


The  "New  York  Observer,"  in  a  leading  article, 
says  : 

"  We  record  with  a  deep  sense  of  personal  loss  the  death  of  Dr. 
Abraham  Coles.  *  *  *  *  His  hymn,  'All  the  Days,'  will  carry  a 
message  of  comfort  to  many  a  weary  heart  in  years  to  come." 

Rev.  T.  E.  Vassar,  D.  D.,  a  former  pastor  of  the 
South  Baptist  Church,  Newark,  N.  J.,  of  which  Dr. 
Coles  was  one  of  the  original  founders,  writes  from 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  as  follows  : 

"  This  week's  (New  York)  '  Examiner'  which  has  just  reached  me, 
tells  me  of  your  great  loss.  I  lay  aside  all  work  to  assure  you  of  my 
sincere  sympathy  in  this  time  of  sorrow,  and  yet  to  rejoice  with  you 
over  a  father  who  has  so  grandly  done  his  work  and  passed  to  be 
forever  with  his  Lord.  I  know  how  heavily  shadowed  your  beautiful 
home  must  be  these  bright  May  days,  and  I  know  how  for  months 
yet  your  honored  parent  will  be  missed  and  mourned;  but  if  the 
present  is  clouded,  the  past  and  the  future  are  more  radiant  than  sun  or 
skies.     Around  years  that  are  gone  hang  all  sweet  and  blessed  mem- 


60  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

ories,  and  over  the  years  that  lie  ahead  hangs  the  glory  of  a  heavenly 
home.  God  give  you  to  look  this  morning  in  both  directions  and  so 
to  smile  amid  your  tears. 

"Very  pleasantly  I  remember  the  hour  enjoyed  with  your  father 
last  August,  and  distinctly  I  recall  his  parting  words.  He  intimated 
that  we  might  not  meet  again  on  earth,  but  spoke  of  'something 
better  further  on.'  In  part,  his  words  have  proved  true.  Let  us 
trust  they  will  prove  altogether  prophetic.  May  the  Comforter  who 
came  to  Bethany  with  His  words  of  life  and  immortality  shed  abroad 
in  your  hearts  His  deep,  abiding  peace." 

The  Rev.  A.  H.  Lewis,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Seventh 
Day  Baptist  Church,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  and  editor  of 
"The  Outlook,"  a  Sabbath  quarterly,  says  : 

"  Accept  my  wife's  and  my  own  sympathy,  while  we  unite  in  the 
peace  we  know  must  fill  your  hearts,  even  though  shadowed.  To 
bear  the  name,  and  enshrine  the  memory,  of  such  a  father,  is  a 
blessing  for  which  others  might  well  long.  May  the  peace  of  Him 
who  hath  welcomed  your  father  into  rest  abide  in  your  hearts." 

The  Rev.  Aaron  H.  Burlingham,  D.  D.,  Secretary  of 
the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  wrote  : 

"  I  deeply  care  for  you  in  your  great  bereavement.  How  sadly 
the  excursion  for  pleasure  ended  in  sorrow.  To  a  ripe  age,  your 
distinguished  and  honored  father  remained  with  you,  but  the  blow 
came  too  soon,  by  far.  May  you  find  support  in  the  only  source  of 
comfort — your  father's  God.  Mrs.  Burlingham  joins  me  in  sympathy 
with  you  in  this  hour  of  crushing  grief."' 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES.  6 1 

J.  K.  Hoyt,  formerly  associate  editor  of  the  "  Newark 
Daily  Advertiser,"  and  more  recently  compiler  of  the 
''Cyclopaedia  of  Practical  Quotations,"  published  by 
Funk  &  Wagnalls,  New  York,  says  : 

"The  first  notice  of  your  father's  death  came  to  me  in  Florida. 
Your  father  was  one  of  my  best  friends,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  that 
I  have  none  but  the  pleasantest  memories  of  him.  He  was  courteous 
and  kind  when  I  was  entirely  friendless  in  Newark,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  pleasant  and  improving  hours  at  his  own  home." 

The  Rev.  J.  M.  Stevenson,  D.  D.,  Secretary  of  the 
American  Tract  Society,  writes  : 

"  Our  family  was  shocked  to  see  in  the  daily  papers  the  statement 
that  your  good  father  had  suddenly  ceased  to  live  here,  while  on  a 
Western  tour.  Terrible  as  the  blow  must  be  to  you,  I  am  very  sure 
that  your  confidence,  and  that  of  all  who  knew  him,  assures  you  that 
he  now  lives  a  higher  and  more  glorious  life;  and  this  is  a  comfort 
above  all  other  sources  of  comfort.  While  we  sympathize  most 
deeply  with  you  in  your  irreparable  loss,  accept  the  strongest  expres- 
sion of  our  suffering  with  you." 

The  Hon.  Vice  Chancellor  Abraham  V.  Van  Fleet 
gives  expression  to  his  heartfelt  grief  in  these  words  of 
love  and  sympathy  : 

"  I  am  saddened  by  the  news  of  the  death  of  your  father.  The 
death  of  such  a  man  is  a  great  loss.  It  would  be  better  for  the  race 
if  such  men  could  live  forever.     They  make  the  whole  world  better. 


62  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

They  soften  and  refine  everything  they  come  in  contact  with;  the 
influence  of  their  lives  is  like  a  benediction.  I  do  not  believe  that 
any  one  ever  had  a  better  father." 

The  Rev.  Edgar  M.  Levy,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia, 
Perm.,  says  : 

"  From  a  notice  in  the  '  National  Baptist '  I  learn,  with  the  deep- 
est sorrow,  of  the  death  of  your  honored  father.  I  can  scarcely 
believe  it  to  be  true,  yet  I  fear  it  is  so.  Your  father  was  the  purest, 
truest,  noblest  man  I  ever  knew.  His  mind  was  as  cultured  as  his 
heart  was  filled  with  every  generous  and  noble  affection.  The 
strength  of  manhood  in  him  was  united  to  the  tenderness  and  gentle- 
ness of  woman.  I  am  aware  that  I  am  telling  nothing  which  you  do 
not  already  know,  but  it  affords  me  some  consolation  to  bear  this 
testimony  to  my  friend  and  brother,  and  the  friend  of  her  who 
cannot  now  join  in  the  expressions  of  grateful  appreciation  which, 
during  her  life,  frequently  fell  from  her  lips." 

The  Rev.  D.  J.  Yerkes,  D.  D.,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J., 
writes  : 

"  It  could  not  have  been  otherwise  than  that  you  should  have  felt 
satisfaction  in  your  father's  celebrity,  earned  in  his  profession  and  in 
the  walks  of  literature;  but  his  nobility  of  character,  his  manliness, 
his  sweetness  of  spirit,  now  that  he  is  gone,  makes  a  precious, 
immortal  memory.  He  was  strong,  yet  gentle;  decided  in  opinion, 
yet  tolerant;  great,  but  humble;  honored  of  men,  while  he  honored 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES.  63 

most  of  all  his  divine  Lord.  'Though  dead,  he  yet  speaketh.'  The 
life  now  ended  has  left  echoes  .grander  than  noblest  speech,  and 
sweeter  than  sweetest  music." 


Prof.  Robert  T.  S.  Lowell,  D.  D.,  of  Schenectady, 
N.  Y.,  the  author  and  poet,  brother  of  James  Russell 
Lowell,  was  confined  to  his  room  by  what  proved  to  be 
his  last  sickness,  when  the  news  of  the  death  of  Dr. 
Coles  reached  him;  yet  he  wrote,  with  effort: 

"  We  are  with  you  in  your  sorrow,  and  in  your  consolation." 

Subsequently  his  faithful  daughter,  M.  A.  Lowell, 
being  in  constant  attendance  upon  her  father,  wrote  to 
the  daughter  of  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  My  father  desires  me  to  send  to  you,  and  your  brother,  his  last 
farewell.  He  feels  that  he  is  failing,  and  cannot  stay  much  longer. 
I  am  thankful  to  think  that  he  is  not  suffering  pain,  only  excessive 
weakness." 

Hon.  David  Ayres  Depue,  LL.  D.,  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey,  wrote  : 

"It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  be  reckoned  among  your 
father's  friends  ;  and,  if  I  could  take  time  from  the  official  duties 
now  pressing  me,  I  would  express  in  an  appropriate  manner  my 
love  and  veneration  for  him,  and  my  admiration  for  his  writings. 
Fortunately  for  Dr.  Coles'  memory,  it  needs  no  tribute  from  any 
one  of  his  friends." 


64  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

Clara  H.  Stranahan,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  author  of 
•'A  History  of  French  Painting,  From  Its  Earliest  to  Its 
Latest  Practice,"  etc.,  writes  : 

"  How  glad  I  personally  am  now  that  I  had  so  recently  the 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  that  day's  intercourse  with  your  much 
esteemed  father  at  his  home.  It  stands  out  as  a  bright  spot  in  the 
crowding,  passing  life.  From  his  'All  the  Days  '  and  '  Sweet  By  and 
By,'  his  friends  may  be  comforted  and  led  to  renewed  struggles  for 
the  purity  that  will  assure  us  that 

"  'In  the  Sweet  By  and  By, 

We  shall  meet  on  that  beautiful  shore.' 

"  My  husband  (Hon.  J.  S.  T.  Stranahan)  joins  me  in  expressions  of 
deep  and  sympathetic  regard." 

Henry  C.  Bowen's  daughter,  the  light  and  life  of 
her  father's  household,  yet  "acquainted  with  grief," 
thus  writes  to  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  Roseland,  Woodstock,  Conn. 
"  Upon  my  return  from  Europe,  not  two  weeks  ago,  I  learned  of 
the  sorrow  that  has  come  so  recently  to  you,  and  I  want  to  reach  out 
my  hand  with  a  word  of  sympathy;  for  I  know,  so  well,  the  full 
meaning  of  the  separation  from  a  dear  one,  and  the  long  silence  that 
follows.  I  remember  so  pleasantly  the  evening  your  father  spent 
with  us  in  Brooklyn,  when  our  own  hearts  were  then  so  happy. 
What  we  have  suffered  since  those  only  know  who  have  tried  to 
endure  such  a  loss:  but  it  is  a  great  deal  to  have  the  memory  of  such 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


65 


companionships.  That  you  must  feel,  when  you  look  back  upon  your 
father's  life  with  you.  Such  lives  are  a  continual  blessing.  I  often 
hear  of  you,  though  we  seldom  meet." 


Margaret  E.  Sangster,  in  alluding  to  a  visit  at  Deer- 
hurst,  speaks  as  follows  : 

"  Harper  &  Brothers'  Editorial  Rooms, 

"  Franklin  Square,  New  York. 
"My  recollection  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles  is  peculiarly  delightful. 
I  can  see  him  in  his  library  surrounded  by  the  books  which  were  his 
tools  and  companions  ;  and  I  can  even  hear  him  reading  musical  and 
solemn  lines  from  his  'Light  of  the  World,'  on  which  he  was  at 
work.  He  has  passed  from  the  Delectable  Mountains  to  the  City  of 
the  King." 


The  Rev.  Edwin  YV.  Rice,  D.  D.,  editor  of  the  "Sun- 
day School  World,"  writes  from  Philadelphia,  Pa  : 

"  There  was  a  depth  of  Christian  experience  shown  in  his  corre- 
spondence, by  your  father,  which  could  not  fail  to  impress  every 
mind.  There  is  nothing  so  strongly  manifesting  the  true  Christian, 
as  the  spirit  of  his  criticism,  and,  in  this,  Dr.  Coles  was  superior  to 
most  men  that  I  have  known.  All  that  my  friends,  Drs.  Boardman 
and  McArthur,  say  of  him,  I  found  to  be  true  in  the  best  sense." 


66  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

The  Rev.  F.  M.  McAllister,  rector  of  Trinity  Church, 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  writes  : 

"  I  am  pleased  to  read  in  the  public  journals  the  testimonials  of 
appreciation,  especially  that  of  the  poet  Whittier;  it  was  a  splendid 
recognition  of  your  father's  literary  merit.  The  exquisite  simplicity 
of  your  father's  Christian  trust  was  so  free  from  the  skeptical  Pilate 
question,  'What  is  truth?'  which  is  abroad  to-day,  and  has  in  it  nc 
confidence,  and  no  reverence,  and  no  respect,  but  is  an  impudent  cavil 
against  the  truth." 

The  Rev.  Alexander  McLaren,  D.  D.,  writes  from 
Fallowfield,  Manchester,  England  : 

"  I  truly  sympathize  with  you  in  your  sorrow.  My  own  house- 
hold has  long  been  like  yours — one  daughter  and  one  son  left  to 
comfort  a  lonely  father — and  so  I  can  the  better  understand  and  feel 
with  you.  In  my  own  griefs  I  have  learned.  I  hope,  one  lesson — that 
the  only  real  consolation  lies  in  submission.  When  we  can  say,  'Thy 
will  be  done,'  some  peace,  which  prophesies  fuller  comfort  in  due 
time,  begins  to  dawn  upon  us.  I  pray  that  you  and  your  brother 
may  be  able  to  accept  the  sorrow,  for  accepted  sorrow  is  blessed,  and 
is  on  the  way  to  become,  if  not  joy,  at  least  tranquility." 

The   Rev.   J.  W.   Sarles,   D.    D.,   writes   from   Stelton, 

N.J.: 

"  I  am  sure  a  priceless  legacy  is  left  you  in  his  memory.  How 
sweetly  peaceful  was  the  end  !  '  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behoid 
the  upright;  for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace.'  '  The  memory  of  the 
just  is  blessed.' 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES.  67 

The  Rev.  George  E.  Horr,  D.  D.,  of  Summit,  N.  J., 
writes  : 

"  Your  father's  eminence  in  learning  and  art  and  talent,  and  the 
breadth  of  his  knowledge,  made  it  a  comfort  to  have  his  loving 
regard.  Yours  is  no  common  loss.  So  few,  so  very  few,  have  stood 
in  such  exalted  relations  to  a  kingly  one  in  letters,  to  such  exquisite 
taste,  to  such  tender  heartedness,  to  such  rare  idealism,  and  to  such 
wealth  of  love  and  beauty.  But  to  think  of  all  these  glorified,  and 
that  the  heart  that  touched  your  lives  in  exalted  joy  and  comfort, 
waits  to  add  its  heavenliness  to  your  communings;  and,  by  and  by,  to 
a  blissful  reunion  !  Now  tears  may  dim,  yet  I  am  sure  the  blessings 
of  the  past,  and  those  yet  to  come,  with  the  sainted  father,  will  give 
a  sacred  peace  and  joy." 

The  Rev.  Samuel  R.  House,  M.  D.,  D.  D.,  for  many- 
years,  with  his  wife,  a  missionary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  at  Bangkok,  Siam,  writes 
from  Waterford,  N.  Y. : 

"From  a  newspaper  obituary  notice  I  learned  of  your  sad  and 
sudden  bereavement.  My  heart,  and  my  dear  wife's,  go  out  towards 
you  in  sorrow  and  sincerest  sympathy.  I  know  how  much  you  loved 
and  revered  him,  and  how  justly  proud  you  were  of  the  nobility  of 
his  character,  his  gifts,  and  his  graces;  and  of  what  he  had  done  and 
written  to  instruct  and  bless  the  world.  *  *  *  *  I,  too,  loved  your 
dear  father  and  felt  honored  by  his  kind  regard  for  me  and  mine. 
I  shall  ever  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  have  known  one  I  honored  so 
much  for  his  learning,  his  poetic  talent,  the  consecration  of  his  gifts 
V 


68  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

to  his  Redeemer;  and  the  pleasure,  instruction  and  helps,  I  have 
derived  from  his  writings.  Sincerely  I  shall  mourn  his  loss.  *  * 
*  *  Many  may  die  as  sudden,  few  as  safe.  He  'knew'  in  whom 
he  had  '  believed. '  His  Incarnate  Lord,  into  the  sweet  wonders  of 
whose  love  he  had  looked  so  long,  and  so  studiously,  was  to  him  a 
living  presence,  and  He  was  with  him  when  he  died — the  blessed,  all 
glorious  Friend,  who  never  forsakes.  Yes,  if  any  man,  surely,  your 
good  father  could  say,  in  the  words  he  puts  into  aged  Simeon's  mouth: 

"  '  Master  !   it  is  enough.     I  die  in  peace, 

Thou  hast  fulfilled  Thy  promise.     Now  release 
Thy  servant  when  Thou  pleasest.     For  mine  eyes, 
Have  seen  the  Saviour,  and  it  doth  suffice: '  * 

"And  who  could  more  exult  than  he,  when  so  suddenly  faith  was 
exchanged  for  sight." 

William  Rankin,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Newark, 
N.  J.,  and  one  active  in  good  works,  writes  : 

"  Permit  me  to  add  an  expression  of  my  high  appreciation  of  your 
partiality  in  selecting  me  as  one  of  the  pall-bearers  at  the  funeral  of 
your  revered  father.  *  *  *  *  There  always  seemed  a  peculiar 
sympathy  between  your  dear  father  and  myself,  when  we  met,  which 
made  our  intercourse  elevating  and  Christian.  His  qualities  of  heart 
no  less  than  mind  shone  conspicuous  in  his  daily  life,  and  I  can 
appreciate  to  some  extent  your  great  loss,  and  sympathize  in  that 
affliction." 

♦The  "Evangel,"  pp.  73-74. 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES.  69 

Rev.  Robert  P.  Kerr,  D.  D.,  writes  from  Richmond, 
Virginia  : 

"I  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in  the  removal  of  your  father, 
but  your  loss  is  his  eternal  glory  and  gain.  I  knew  him,  and  like 
every  one  else,  loved  him." 

Aaron  M.  Powell,  .of  the  Society  of  Friends,  editor 
of  "  The  Philanthropist,"  etc.,  sent  the  following  : 

"I  sympathize  with  you  deeply  in  the  great  void  which  you  must 
realize  in  your  own  life  in  the  loss  of  such  a  companionship  as  that 
of  your  father.  I  congratulate  you,  also,  upon  the  rich  legacy  you 
inherit  in  so  precious  a  memory.  A  cultured  representative  of  the 
old  school  of  Christian  gentlemen,  his  personal  presence  seemed  to 
me  a  benediction." 

Richard  J.  Dunglison,  M.  D.,  Treasurer  of  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association, writes  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.: 

"  I  heard  of  your  loss  with  sincere  regret.  No  one  admired  your 
father's  personal  character  more  than  myself,  and  his  published 
works  have  often  given  pleasure  to  myself  and  family;  for  we  have 
frequently  read,  and  re-read,  the  charming  effusions  of  his  true  Chris- 
tian spirit." 

The  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  of  New  York 
City,  says  in  his  letter  of  sympathy: 

"*  *  *  *  What  a  joy  it  is  to  think  of  that  home,  and  the 
meeting  there !  Your  father's  God  you  will  trust  and  love 
as  yours." 


7o 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


The  Rev.  Abraham  Coles  Osborn,  D.  D.,  a  successful 
minister  of  Christ,  writes  the  following,  from  his  field  of 
labor  at  Albion,  N.  Y.: 

"  In  a  full  age,  but  out  of  the  fullness  of  health,  and  happiness, 
and  great  usefulness,  the  Master  hath  said,  'Come  up  higher.'  With 
great  sincerity,  with  a  high  and  holy  purpose,  with  transparent 
honesty,  with  unceasing  and  unvarying  fidelity,  and  with  great  ability, 
he  served  his  generation.  The  world  is  better  that  he  lived  in  it. 
If  I  may  say  a  personal  word,  my  own  life  has  received  some  of  its 
best  impulses,  and  its  highest  aspirations,  from  him  whose  name  I 
bear.     Blessed,  thrice  blessed,  be  his  memory." 

Bishop  John  H.  Vincent,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Chancellor  of 
the  Chautauqua  University,  being  unable  to  write  him- 
self, by  reason  of  severe  illness,  dictated  a  letter,  from 
which  we  quote  two  sentences  : 

"Dr.  Coles  was  a  magnificent  man,  physically,  intellectually  and 
spiritually;  he  was  one  among  ten  thousand.  *  *  *  *  Who  can 
doubt  the  great  doctrines  of  immortality  in  the  presence  of  such  a 
life  as  that  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles." 

Rev.  Dr.  W.  C.  Stitt,  Secretary  of  the  Seaman's  Friend 

Society,  wrote  : 

"  76  Wall  street,  New  York. 
"  '  Servant  of  God,  well  done  ! '  is  the  sweet  song  of  angels  over 
your  father's  grave.     It  is  the  triumphant  strain   in  his  children's 
hearts  that  subdues  their  sorrow.     Permit  me  to  add  my  '  Servant  of 
God,  well  done  !'  to  yours." 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


71 


Mary  Mapes  Dodge,  editor  of  "St.  Nicholas,"  etc., 
concludes  her  letter  of  affectionate  sympathy  in  the 
following  words  : 

"  The  thought  of  your  dear  father's  noble  character,  his  long  life 
of  usefulness  and  honor,  his  pure  and  exalted  nature,  and  his  stead- 
fast faith — this  will  comfort  you.  *  *  *  *  Your  father's  memory 
always  will  be  dear  and  sacred  to  our  family." 

Edmund  C.  Stedman  writes  : 

"  I  have  learned  the  tidings  of  your  dear,  saintly,  noble  father's 
death.  We  knew  that  it  must  be  ere  long,  yet  I  am  distressed.  I 
mourn  with  you  that  we  shall  see  his  beautiful  face,  his  stately  figure, 
no  more  in  this  life.  *  *  *  *  To-night  I  have  been  reading  one 
of  the  most  fervent  and  exquisite  letters  ever  penned — that  which  he 
sent  me  a  few  days  after  my  mother's  death." 

Prof.  William  Garden  Blaikie,  of  New  College  (Free 
Church),  Edinburgh,  in  his  letter,  says  : 

"9  Palmerston  Road,  Grange,  Edinburgh. 
"  You  are  blessed  to  have  had  such  a  father,  and  to  have  such 
memories  of  a  father." 

The  Rev.  Edward  Judson,  D.  D.,  writes  from  Memorial 
Baptist  Church,  Washington  Square,  New  York  City: 

"I  loved  and  admired  your  father  very  much.  I  shall  never 
forget  a  happy  evening  I  spent  with  him  in  Orange,  N.  J.  I  have 
read  with  deepest  interest  whatever  I  have  been  able  to  secure  from 


72  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

his  graceful  pen.  His  rendering  of  the  Psalms  I  prize  most  highly. 
*  *  *  *  Sympathizing  with  you  in  your  inexpressible  loss,  I 
remain,  yours  most  sincerely." 

Edward  Bierstadt,  of  New  York  City,  says  : 

"When  I  read  of  your  loss  I  was  overcome  with  sorrow.  My 
heart  was  so  full,  I  could  not  find  words  to  express  my  feelings. 
Your  father  was  the  finest  and  highest  type  of  man  I  had  ever 
met.  He  seemed  to  me  to  be  different  from  all  others.  I  was  often 
amazed  at  his  vast  amount  of  diversified  knowledge.  Some  men 
parade  their  learning — he  never  did;  but  you  could  not  ask  him  a 
question  on  any  subject,  but  what  you  found  him  to  be  perfectly 
familiar  therewith.     He  was  a  reliable,  sterling,  good  man." 

Rev.  Josiah  Strong,  D.  D.,  General  Secretary  of  the 
Evangelical  Alliance  for  the  United  States,  who,  in  the 
words  of  its  President,  William  E.  Dodge,  "has  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  the  churches,"  writes  from 
Greenwich,  Connecticut  : 

"Your  father's  '  Ever,  my  Lord,  with  Thee,'  'All  the  Days,'  and 
other  hymns,  will  now  have  new  meaning  to  you.  I  can  offer  you 
the  sympathy  of  one  who  has  had  the  same  experience." 

The  Rev.  Henry  M.  Sanders,  D.  D.,  of  New  York  City: 

"I  had  great  admiration  for  your  father.  His  was  a  sweet  and 
seraphic  spirit,  unearthly  and  pure.  Death  to  such  a  one  is  only 
transition." 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES.  73 

The  Rev.  D.  R.  Frazer,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  Newark,  N.  J.,  writes  : 

"Your  father  had  a  very  large  place  in  my  heart.  My  wife  and 
I  often  speak  of  the  delightful  day  spent  at  your  home,  and 
although  we  realize  the  desolation  which  has  come  to  it,  yet  you 
can  find  joy  in  the  fact  that  your  good  father  rests  in  the  great 
Father's  home  on  high." 

Rev.  H.  W.  Ballantine,  D.  D.,  of  Bloomfield,  N.  J.: 

"  I  remember  very  pleasantly  the  day,  four  years  ago  last  spring, 
and  the  bright  shining  of  your  father's  face,  as  he  moved  about  among 
his  guests,  showing  us  the  various  treasures  of  his  library.  Your 
bereavement  in  the  loss  of  such  a  father  is  indeed  great,  but  the 
fact  which  makes  it  so  contains  also  its  own  great  consolation.. 
Mrs.  Ballantine  joins  me  in  sympathy  and  remembrance." 

In  the  cause  of  Hungary  and  Poland,  Dr.  Coles 
always  took  a  deep  interest.  For  Kossuth  and  his 
talented  sister,  Madame  Ruttkay,  the  latter  a  near 
neighbor  and  a  frequent  guest  at  Deerhurst,  Dr.  Coles 
cherished  great  admiration  and  respect,  as  well  as 
friendship. 

Ernest  A.  Von  Diezelski,  a  Polish  patriot,  a  refined 
and  cultivated  gentleman,  professes  to  have  derived 
much  comfort  and  instruction  from  the  writings  of  Dr. 
Coles  ;  and  holds,  in  grateful  remembrance,  the  words 


74 


MEMORIA  L    TRIE  U  TES. 


of    wisdom,   it   was    his    privilege    to   hear,    from    the 
Doctor's  own  lips.     He  concludes  his  letter  : 

"God  grant  that  we  may  all  look  upon  death  as  he  did,  and  be 
partakers  of  that  peace,  even  here  on  earth,  of  which  he  was  a 
living  testimony." 

The  Rev.  Lyman  Abbott,  D.  D.,  author,  editor  of  the 
"Christian  Union,"  etc.,  wrote  : 

"I  regret  that  my  absence  from  town  prevented  me  from 
acknowledging  before  the  receipt  of  your  invitation  to  the  funeral 
services  of  Dr.  Abraham  Coles.  Duties  here  in  New  York  made  it 
impossible  for  me  to  attend.     Yours  sincerely." 

Rt.  Rev.  John  Williams,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  Connecticut,  Chancellor  of  Trinity  College, 
etc.,  writes  from  Middletown,  Conn  : 

"  When  I  learned  of  the  departure  of  your  dear  excellent  father, 
had  I  known  where  to  write,  I  should  have  written  at  once  to  say 
how  fully  I  sympathize  with  you  in  your  bereavement,  and  how 
truly  I  honored  and  reverenced  him.  He  was  indeed  'a  good  man, 
and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  I  always  read  his  delightful  writings 
with  pleasure  and  profit.  There  was  an  aroma  of  purity  and  godly 
grace  about  them  that  was  particularly  attractive.  The  world  is 
richer  for  such  a  life  as  his,  and  poorer  for  his  loss.  But  God 
knows  best,  and  I  trust  that  you  will  have — I  am  sure  you  will — 
those  abounding  consolations  which  only  the  one  great  Comforter 
can  give.     Relieve  me,  very  truly  yours." 


ME  MORI  A  L    TRIB  U  TES. 


75 


Rt.  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks,  D.  D  ,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese 
of  Massachusetts,  writing  from  Boston,  in  a  note  full  of 
kindness,  uses  the  following  words  : 

"All  that  concerns  your  father  is  of  great  interest  to  me,  for  I 
have  long  known  his  work  and  valued  it.  I  send  to. you  my  sin- 
cerest  sympathy.  At  the  same  time  I  rejoice  with  you  in  your 
faith  and  hope.     Faithfully  and  truly." 

Rev.  B.  Griffith,  D.  D.,  General  Secretary,  editor,  and 
acting  Treasurer  of  the  American  Baptist  Publication 
Society,  writes  from  Philadelphia  concerning  the  death 
of  Dr.  Coles  : 

"I  am  both  glad  and  sorry.  Glad  that  God  gave  you  so  excellent 
a  father,  so  truly  worthy  of  your  love.  I  know  what  it  is  to  lose  a 
father  in  early  life,  and  can,  therefore,  sympathize  with  those  who 
are  called  to  a  similar  loss.  Most  heartily  do  I  sympathize  with 
you  in  this  bereavement,  but  you  know  the  source  of  refuge,  and  to 
that  source  you  have  learned  the  way." 

Nathan  Haskell  Dole,  the  successful  translator  of 
Russian  and  Spanish  works,  etc.,  says  in  his  letter, 
written  from  Jamaica  Plain,  Hedgecote,  Glen  Road  : 

"When  I  saw  the  notice  of  your  father's  passing  beyond,  I  was 
moved  to  sit  down  immediately  and  write,  expressing  my  sympa- 
thies. I  shall  never  forget  seeing  your  father  in  his  library.  His 
stately,  serene  presence,  so  dignified,  so  truly  poetical,  seemed  fitly 


•j 6  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

enshrined  in  the  precious  treasures  of  thought  which  he  had  so 
lovingly  collected.  Alas  !  that  it  was  only  once  to  have  seen  him 
there  !  Yet  when  I  read  how  he  had  vanished  from  earth,  it  seemed 
as  though  I  had  lost  something  great.  How  much  more  must  that 
have  seemed  to  you,  who  lived  in  the  very  sunshine  of  his  life. 
Words  are  very  feeble  to  express  sympathies.  Very  cordially 
yours." 

The  "Boston  Transcript"  contained  the  following 
contribution  from  the  pen  of  Elizabeth  G.  Shepard  : 

"Abraham  Coles  dead!  Alas,  that  so  brilliant  a  light  should 
be  extinguished.  How  will  the  world  far  and  wide  weep  for  him. 
Physician,  surgeon,  linguist,  author,  poet  and  critic,  to  him  all 
things  seemed  possible,  and  he  touched  nothing  that  he  did  not 
beautify  and  adorn.  His  deep  learning,  his  wondrous  genius  filled 
us  with  admiration,  and  yet,  more  than  all,  one  loved  him  for  his 
great  and  exceeding  goodness.  The  rare  quality  of  humility  was 
all  his  own.  His  writings  breathe  the  strong  religious  fervor  that 
characterized  his  life. 

"  I  remember  '  The  Microcosm  '  in  the  possession  of  a  friend  who 
is  a  physician.  So  highly  did  he  prize  it,  that  it  was  most  jealously 
guarded,  and  although  he  would  read  to  us  from  its  pages,  it  was 
always  reluctantly  yielded  to  our  touch.  The  book  was  a  favorite, 
it  was  rare,  and  belonged  to  him.  Some  time  after,  it  was  with 
pardonable  pride  I  could  write  that  not  only  did  I  own  the  book, 
but  it  had  been  presented  to  me  by  the  author. 

"The  home  of  Doctor  Coles,  '  Deerhurst,'  at  Scotch  Plains,  New 
Jersey,  has  always  abounded  in  hospitality;  one  was  sure  of  a  most 


MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 


77 


cordial  welcome  from  the  kindly  host,  his  son,  and  daughter,  who 
gracefully  presided  over  her  father's  establishment.  Surrounded 
by  broad  acres  the  mansion  is  substantial,  elegant  and  beautiful, 
and  is  replete  with  articles  rich  and  rare  that  have  been  gathered  in 
frequent  journeyings  through  foreign  lands.  Back  from  the  house  a 
short  distance,  is  the  deer  park,  and  the  older  and  more  sedate 
creatures  gaze  at  us  with  beautiful  soft  eyes,  while  the  timid  fawn 
dashes  off  with  graceful  leap  and  bound.  Farther  on  is  the  labyrinth, 
a  fac-simile  of  the  famous  one  at  Hampton  Court,  and  as  we  wan- 
dered through  the  intricate  passages,  how  demurely  did  Doctor 
Coles  follow  us,  giving  no  hint  as  we  strayed  from  the  right  way, 
until,  after  many  a  twist  and  turn  and  new  departure,  we  finally 
reached  the  goal  in  the  centre.  And  then  how  delightful  to  rest 
there,  and  listen  to  the  glowing  eloquence  of  him  whom  we  now 
mourn  ! 

"The  remembrance  comes  of  another  day,  when  after  a  brisk 
canter  over  level  roads,  we  alighted  beneath  the  port-cochere,  and 
mounting  the  massive  stairway,  entered  the  Doctor's  study,  the 
door  of  which  was  thrown  hospitably  wide  open.  The  very  atmos- 
phere seemed  inspiring,  for  here  were  stored  the  richest  thoughts 
and  sweetest  inspirations  the  world  has  known.  The  room  is  open 
to  the  roof,  the  oaken  rafters  coming  down  in  graceful  sweeps,  with 
here  and  there  odd  little  windows,  deeper  ones  reaching  to  the  floor 
and  opening  upon  slender  balconies  and  vine-clad  verandas.  On 
every  side  are  books:  in  massive  cases,  filling  deep  recesses,  on 
shelves  substantially  built  around  corners  and  supported  by  orna- 
mental columns,  and  on  daintier  shelves  arranged  above  one's  head. 
A  vast  and  varied  collection,  carefully  and  worthily  bound.     What 


78  MEMORIAL    TRIBUTES. 

a  genial  welcome  awaited  us  !  and  it  was  the  most  alluring  armchair 
that  was  wheeled  into  the  most  comfortable  position  for  us,  while 
Doctor  Coles,  seated  at  his  study  table,  read  from  the  manuscript 
his  criticism  upon  Stedman's  'Poets  of  America.' 

"But  with  these  pleasurable  recollections  comes  the  sad  realiz- 
ation of  sorrow  and  bereavement.  No  more  can  we  enjoy  the 
living  presence,  never  again  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  his  glorious 
intellect.  To  those  near  and  dear  to  him  the  loss  is  irreparable  ; 
the  very  sunlight  must  to  them  seem  blasted. 

"  We  mourn  ;  but  there  will  come  the  consolation  that  we  are  in 
possession  of  his  inspirations,  of  the  fruits  of  his  untiring  industry, 
and  that  for  him  there  is  fulfillment." 


ADDITIONAL    SELECTIONS 


FROM    THE 


WORKS    OF    ABRAHAM    COLES 


A    NEW   YEAR'S   GREETING. 

A  HAPPY  New  Year  to    you  all : 
In  answer  to  my  humble  call, 
On  your  dear  heads  may  blessings  fall 

From  Heavenly  Friend, 
Without  a  moment's  interval, 
To  the  Year's  end. 

O,  there  is  breath,  that's  more  than  breath, 
A  prayer  that  saith  more  than  it  saith, 
The  prayer  of  prayer,  the  prayer  of  faith, 

That  prayer  I  pray, 
(Which  the  heart  only  uttereth) 

To  God  to-day  ! 

That  love  is  poor  the  heart  can  speak, 
The  language  of  the  lips  is  weak, 
No  organ  hath  true  love,  we  seek 

In  vain    t'  impart 
(Though  ours  the  master  tongue  of  Greek) 

Th'  unuttered  heart. 

As  one  great  instrumental  whole, 

Responsive  to  divine  control, 

The  spheres  make  music  as  they  roll  ; 

O,  like  to  this, 
Those  sweet  vibrations  of  the  soul 

Where  true  love  is  ! 


82  A  NEW  YEAR'S  GREETING. 

When  summer  melts  the  selfish  frost, 
How  like  a  prince — disdaining  cost, 
Counting  for  love  the  world  well  lost — 

The  yearning  breast 
Would  the  full  universe  exhaust 

To  make  one  blest  ! 

When  spoils  of  Nature  and  of  Art 
Have  all  been  lavished,  still,  O  Heart  ! 
Esteeming  this  the   smallest  part, 

Thy  fond  desire 
Would  into  unseen  regions  dart 

For  something  higher. 

Even  so,  my  wishes  upward  rise, 

On  wings  of  prayer  above  the  skies, 

To  bring  that  good,  God's  grace  supplies 

To  sinful  men, 
From  that  dear  bosom,  where  it  lies, 

To  you,  Amen  ! 


HARMONY. 

TTOW  good,  how  pleasant,  nought  can  it  excel, 

For  brethren  all  in  unity  to  dwell; 
T'  agree  to  differ;    since  while  man  is  man, 
There  must  be  difference,  do  what  we  can. 
How  petty  oft  the  causes  that  divide — 
Some  little  nothing  fondly  magnified, 
Less  than  a  letter,  roughness  of  the  breath, 
A  mere  unasperated  Shibboleth: 
Brothers  in  all  agreeing,  all  the  same, 
Save  in  the  pronunciation  of  a  name. 
Vain  are  our  wranglings,  easy  't  were  to  proveP 
He  fails  in  every  thing  who  fails  in  Love. 
Let  men  reserve  anathemas  for  sin, 
Lies  and  hypocrisies  concealed  within; 
And  excommunicate  from  Church  and  State 
That  great  heresiarch  whose  name  is  Hate. 


THE     REDEEMER. 

~Y7"E  fair  and  fadeless  Stars,  that  hither  turn 

All  your  converging  and  sweet  wondering  eyes 
From  every  part  of  the  surrounding  heavens, 
Holding  compassionate  and  patient  watch, 
Pure  witnesses  of  all  the  births  of  Time 
From  man's  apostasy  until  this  hour  ! — 
Now  join  to  celebrate  with  the  redeemed, 
The  Saviour's  advent  to  this  far  off  Earth, 
Who  came  that  He  might  bring  the  lost  one  back, 
Back  from  the  hungry,  fiery  jaws  of  Hell, 
To  shine  once  more  in  your  bright  neighborhood. 
Unchanged  amid  all  changes,  lo  !  ye  smile 
And  send  serene  and  loving  glances  down, 
(For  hate  ye  cannot)  owning  still  the  bonds 
Of  sympathy  and  sisterhood,  despite 
Her  blurred  and  altered  phase  and  depth  of  shame. 

Ye  deem  it  ill  becomes  you  to  contemn 
What  the  Creator  cares  for.     Ye  are  pure, 
But  not  so  pure  as  He,  yet  His  delights 


THE   REDEEMER.  85 

Have  from  the  first  been  with  the  sons  of  men, 

Whose  utter  ruin  left  unmeasured  scope, 

For  a  display  of  love,  transcending  all 

That  highest  Seraphim  had  ever  thought. 

Yea  !  Earth  from  all  eternity  He  willed 

Should  be  the  honored  theatre  whereon 

The  Godhead  should  surmount  the  loftiest  scale 

Of  possibilities  of  grace.     Ye  dim 

And  twinkling  orbs  !  ye  that  are  sunk  most  far 

In  the  deep  ether,  must  have  heard  the  fame 

Of  that  stupendous  miracle — a  Child 

Of  Virgin  born,  His  name  Emmanuel, 

In  whom  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  dwelt, 

Whose  birth  to  shepherds  first  announced,  what  time 

They  watched  their  flocks  upon  Judea's  hills 

Beneath  your  smiling  and  rejoicing  beams. 

O,  stole  ye  not  a  glimpse  of  the  sweet  Babe, 

As  in  the  manger  lying,  underneath 

The  Mother's  doting  and  adoring  eye, 

And  stooped  yourselves  to  do  him  homage?     For 

The  might,  that  formed  and  whirls  you  on  your  way, 

Was  there  pent  up  within  that  Infant  Form  ; 


86  THE   REDEEMER. 

That  puny  arm  sustained  the  Universe  ; 

That  tongue,  which  then  was  mute,  had  power  to  change 

Th'  abiding  laws  of  Nature  and  of  Fate. 

Years  rolled  away  :  meanwhile,  this  Wondrous  Child 
Had  grown  to  manhood's  stature — marred  his  form, 
His  visage  ploughed  with  grief.     Much  had  He  toiled 
And  suffered.     Him  full  often  had  ye  seen 
Through  tedious  hours  of  night,  engaged  in  prayer, 
Alone,  in  mountain  solitudes.     Sometimes, 
An  awful  majesty  broke  forth  through  His 
Accustomed  meekness.     Now  His  voice  was  heard 
Chiding  the  storm-tossed  sea  and  raging  winds 
That  gave  obsequious  heed  ;  and  now,  the  dead 
Waking,  as  from  slight  slumber,  at  a  word  ; 
And  now,  forgiving  sin,  as  highest  proof, 
Maugre  that  guise  of  weakness,  He  was  God. 

Remember  ye  Gethsemane?     We  said, 
Of  mortal  sorrow  He  had  drunk  full  cup  ; 
But  there  ye  saw  Him  prostrate,  crying  out, 
"  Father,  if  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  !  " 
His  grief,  that  waxed  intenser  day  by  day, 


THE   REDEEMER.  87 

Had  reached  its  acme.     Gracious  God  !  a  sweat 
Of  blood,  wrung  out  by  pressure  of  His  agony 
"Dipped  Him  all  o'er,"  a  dreadful  baptism,  but 
For  whose  accomplishment  He  yet  had  longed. 
He  stood  the  Atlas  of  a  sinking  world, 
By  guilt  so  ponderous  grown,  that,  even  He 
Who  holds  Creation  up,  one  moment  seemed 
To  stagger  'neath  it  and  to  fail  of  strength. 

Ye  saw  another  scene,  at  midday  too. 
A  preternatural  darkness  wrapt  the  land 
For  three  hours'  space,  and  ye  looked  down 
On  Calvary,  a  hill  hard  by  Jerusalem. 
O  sight  of  horror  !     O  atrocious  deed  ! 
There  hung  th'  incarnate  God,  besmeared 
With  blood  and  spittal,  haggard,  most  forlorn, 
Writhing  in  helpless  agony.     Shocked  and  aghast, 
Withdrew  ye  not  your  shining  in  that  hour, 
The  darkest  from  eternity,  and  yet 
The  brightest,  hour  most  signal,  big  with  fate, 
The  fate  of  countless  millions  ?     Blood  there  spilt 
Quenched  everlasting  fires  !     'Twas  proof  of  love 
Amazing  Heaven  and  Earth  and  even  Hell. 


88  THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 

Though  ye're  all  lustrous  and  immaculate, 
The  brightest  were,  I  trow,  ne'er  honored  thus. 
Ye  have,  perhaps,  angelic  visitants,  but  when 
Did  God  descend  among  you,  and  become 
As  one  of  your  own  people  ;  not  a  guest, 
But  denizen  and  fellow  through  long  years? 
The  fruit  of  so  mysterious  and  matchless  grace, 
Is  not  yet  fully  reaped.     Hereafter,  ye 
Shall  see  the  renovated  earth  shine  forth 
Fair  as  the  fairest  and  as  blest  as  erst. 

Christmas,  1851. 


THE     FUTURE     LIFE. 

/~\N  the  strong  pinions  of  the  fleeting  Years, 

We  all  are  borne  unceasingly  aloft, 
Straight  toward  the  azure  of  Eternity. 
That  infinite  and  all-embracing  Cope 
Of  Mystery,  we  soon  shall  penetrate, 
And  be  as  gods  in  knowledge.     We  who  now 


THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 

Are  ignorance  and  feebleness,  blind  moles 
That  burrow  in  the  ground,  are  destined  yet 
To  know  as  we  are  known.     Each  gordian  knot 
And  awful  problem  of  our  being  solved, 
Dwelling  in  light  forever.     Can  it  be? 
Ay,  even  so  !  Bear  witness,  Earth  and  Heaven  ! 
If  myriads  such  as  we  are  have  not  passed, 
Upon  the  Eosom  of  the  Year  just  flown, 
Up  thence  into  the  Infinite  ;  though  now 
No  more  incarnate  ;  for  that  flesh  and  blood 
Cannot  inherit  it,  nor  yet  abide 
So  awful  an  amazement,  as  there  smites 
The  soul,  amid  the  uncovered  mysteries 
Of  that  illimitable  and  dread  domain. 
Unless  of  fleshly  garment  all  unclothed, 
And  clothed  with  other  and  adapted  garb, 
Like  that  which  spirits  wear,  who  could  behold, 
With  unaccustomed  eyes,  the  naked  face 
Of  the  immediate  Godhead,  and  yet  live  ! 
Not  Seraphim  or  Cherubim  dare  look, 
Familiarly,  with  bold  and  open  gaze, 
Nor  but  with  timid  awe  and  shaded  brow, 
Upward  to  that  high  throne  on  which  He  sits, 
So  blinding  is  the  brightness,  piercing,  pure. 


89 


9° 


THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 


Should  one  of  earthly  mould,  with  mortal  weakness  girt, 

Intrude  in  that  Dread  Presence,  how  at  once 

Would  he,  both  by  the  lightning  and  the  light, 

Be  all  transfixed  and  panged  in  every  part, 

All  scorched  and  blasted  and  consumed  away  ! 

But  disembodied  spirits  at  this  hour 

Are  passing  thence,  made  able  to  endure 

The  infinite  amazement.     O  my  soul  ! 

What  shuts  thee  out  this  moment  from  the  sight, 

Except  this  crumbling  wall  of  fragile  flesh, 

Now  weakly  tottering,  on  which  Time  beats 

Unceasingly,  exposed  besides  to  all 

The  thousand  shocks  of  mortal  accident  ? 

This  hindrance  broken  down,  ah  !  then,  thou  too 

Shalt  meet  those  piercing  and  perusing  eyes, 

That  judge  thee  while  they  search  thee;  hear  that  voice, 

Which  shakes  the  universe  ;  that  spake 

The  all-creating  fiat,  breaking  first 

The  everlasting  silence  ;  that  pronounced, 

With  stern  and  dreadful  emphasis  of  wrath, 

Then  first  provoked,  the  Malison  and  Doom, 

That  down  to  just  damnation  sank  for  aye 

The  apostate  sons  of  heaven,  of  which  the  sound 

Through  all  the  infernal  caverns  echoes  still. 


THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 

What  tremblings  and  what  swoonings  of  dismay, 
Await  us,  in  that  solemn  hour,  that  opes 
The  portals  of  Eternity,  and  o'er 
Its  mystic  threshold  bears  and  shuts  us  in — 
The  hour  of  birth  into  another  life  ! 
Sooner  or  later  it  must  come  to  all. 
But  who  so  dastard  or  so  groveling, 
As  e'er  to  wish  'twere  less  inevitable, 
As  not  to  hail  it  though  so  full  of  dread  ? 
Immortal  Thought — uncrowded  and  unchecked 
By  the  insulting  and  encroaching  banks 
Of  scooped  material  channels,  that  sometime 
Did  shore  and  shallow  it — shall  then  burst  forth, 
O'erflowing  and  redundant  as  a  sea  ; 
And  in  its  liquid,  clear,  unfathomed  depths 
Shall  be  reflection  and  solution  seen 
Of  endless  Mysteries  of  the  Universe  ; 
All  former  truth  and  knowledge,  though  as  great 
As  Newton  boasted,  being  swallowed  up 
And  lost,  as  rain-drops  in  the  ocean.     Stars 
And  Suns  innumerable — not  as  here 
By  distance  dimmed  and  dwindled,  but  full-orbed 
And  unimaginably  bright — above  its  vast 
Immeasurable  horizon,  lo  !  shall  rise 


9i 


92 


THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 


And  set  no  more  forever.     From  the  face 
Of  all  things,  shall  be  lifted  and  rolled  off 
The  wide  concealing  darkness,  laying  bare 
The  mighty  hand  of  casual  Deity, 
Beneath  the  deep  foundations  of  the  world 
Swift  touching  all  the  springs  of  harmony. 
In  vain  search  wearied,  groping  evermore 
In  guessing  ignorance,  or  with  blind  plunge 
Leaping  despairingly  we  know  not  where, 
How  blessed,  how  divine,  to,  rest  tired  feet 
On  the  Eternal  Rock  of  Certainty  ! 

O,  most  exalted  fate  of  man  !  the  Soul, 
That  with  invincible  instinct  yearned  to  know, 
Thus  privileged,  within  the  Azure  Veil, 
Into  the  Unprofaned  and  Holy  Place 
And  secret  Sanctuary  of  the  Sky 
To  look — yea  !  unforbidden  pass  the  high 
Once  inaccessible  threshold,  to  the  Shrined, 
Adorable  Wonder  and  the  All  in  All ; 
To  climb  the  Heaven  of  Heaven,  the  Height  of  Heights, 
And  from  supremest  altitudes,  with  keen 
And  multipfesent  faculty  behold 
Creation  all  in  prospect,  seen  at  once  ; 


THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 

Or,  with  accompanying  Archangel,  soar 

On  sociable  swift  wing,  so  swift  scarce  sight 

Can  follow  or  thought  overtake,  far  thence 

To  the  dim  frontiers  and  extremest  bounds 

Of  starred  immensity,  along  the  bright 

And  blazing  pathway  of  unnumbered  worlds, 

Rolling  forever  in  their  mighty  orbs — 

Waving  glad  pinions  to  th'  eternal  chime 

Of  sphere-born  harmonies  ;  now  lost 

In  the  effulgence  of  some  central  Sun, 

Dispenser  of  wide  day  to  planets  round, 

As  briefly  stooping  holy  feet  to  bathe 

In  luminous  fountains  full  as  at  the  first, 

By  the  fierce  heat  and  radiance  unconsumed  ; — 

Emerging  sparkling  thence,  limbs  dripping  light, 

And  trailing  splendors  through  the  Ethereal  Deep, 

With  unstayed  wing,  till  on  the  shore  arrived 

Of  Chaos,  void  and  without  form  and  dark, 

They  stand  spectators  of  creative  acts, 

Hear  sounding  through  th'  abyss  once  more 

Th'  omnific  word  :  "  Let  Be  !  "  to  unborn  worlds. 

The  immaterial  Spirit,  fed  with  strength 
Unfailing,  knows  no  weariness,  and  needs 


93 


94  THE    FUTURE    LIFE. 

Nor  sleep  nor  rest,  but  buoyant,  fresh, 
Throughout  the  lapse  of  unimaginable  years, 
Without  one  void  oblivious  moment,  works. 
And  as  one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years 
To  Him  who  fills  Eternity,  yet  finds 
In  every  moment  room  enough  to  be, 
Ev'n  so  to  man — in  that  immortal  realm, 
With  his  accelerated  powers  of  thought, 
(Since  Time  is  being,  measured  by  the  whirl 
Of  consciousness  as  well  as  circling  spheres, 
By  varying  states  of  mind  made  swift  or  slow)- 
In  the  expanded  limits  of  an  hour, 
May  ages  of  existence  seem  to  roll, 
As  marvelously  prefigured  oft  in  dreams. 

In  that  so  multiplied  Eternity, 
Among  such  scenes,  and  fellowships,  and  acts 
Of  godlike  power  and  glory,  and  events 
Without  a  name  or  parallel  on  earth, 
O  what  a  History  !    O  what  a  Life  ! 
Must  thence  arise  to  our  immortal  selves — 
Amid  all  changes  consciously  the  same, 
Our  cradled  ignorance  remembered  still 


HYMNS  FOR    WHITSUNDA  Y.  95 

To  swell  the  wonder  of  the  distance  passed, 
And  make  us  humbler,  as  we  higher  rise, 
Godward,  in  grand  interminable  ascent 
Of  knowledge,  goodness,  purity,  and  love. 

New  Year,  1842. 


HYMNS     FOR     WHITSUNDAY.* 

NEW    TRANSLATIONS. 

rpHE  following  hymns,  addressed  to  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  Paraclete,  the  incomparable  gifts,  poured  out 
in  baptismal  fulness  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  in  fulfill- 
ment of  the  promise  of  the  Father,  are  appropriate  to 
the  present  season.  A  cry  for  help  to  the  Supreme 
Helper,  they  have  served  to  voice  the  need  of  successive 
generations  uninterruptedly  for  a  thousand  years.  The 
authorship  of    the  first  is  attributed  to  Charlemagne. 

*  For  other  versions,  see  "  Old  Gems  in  New  Settings,"  and  "  The  Light  of 
the  World." 


96  HYMNS  FOR    WHITSUNDA  Y. 

Its  worth  and  dignity  are  attested  by  its  use  on  all 
occasions  of  unusual  solemnity,  as  the  coronation  of 
kings,  the  ordination  of  priests,  the  consecration  of 
bishops,  the  celebration  of  synods  and  the  creation  of 
popes.  It  has  been  translated  by  Dryden  and  others. 
The  second  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Robert  II,  King  of 
France.  Archbishop  Trench  calls  it  "the  loveliest  of 
all  the  hymns  in  the  whole  circle  of  Latin  sacred 
poetry." 

Veni   Creator   Spiritus. 

TRANSLATION. 

Creator  Spirit,  condescend 
To  be  our  Guest,  come,   Heavenly  Friend  ! 
The  breasts  Thou  hast  created  fill 
With  gracious  might  to  do  Thy  will. 

Great  Gift  of  God,  the  Paraclete, 
Well-spring  of  Life,  baptismal  Heat, 
Love  shed  abroad  to  purify, 
Omniscient  unction  from  on  high  ! 

Thy  seven-fold*  gifts  to  us  dispense, 
Finger  of  God's  omnipotence  ! 

*The  seven   gifts  of    the  Holy  Spirit  are:      i.    Wisdom;    2.  Understanding-; 
3.  Counsel;  4.  Fortitude;  5.  Knowledge;  6.  Piety;  7.  Fear  of  God. 


HYMNS  FOR   WHITS  UN  DA  Y. 

Thou  who  didst  once  enrich  the  lungs 
With  Pentecostal  gift  of   tongues, 

Enlighten  Thou  our  darkened  powers, 
Pour  love  into  these  hearts  of  ours. 
Strengthen  our  bcdy,  weak  and  frail, 
With  virtue  that  shall  never  fail. 

Drive  Thou  the  enemy  afar, 

And  give  us  peace  and   end  the  war. 

Be  Thou  our  Leader,  go  befcre, 

So  following  Thee  we'll  stray  no    more. 

On  us  intelligence  bestow, 
The  Father  and  the  Son  to  know, 
Spirit  of   Both,  be  still  our  creed, 
Thou  dost  from  Both  alike  proceed. 


Veni   Sancte   Spiritus. 

TRANSLATION. 

Holy  Spirit,  Source  of  Day, 
Come  Thou  and  from  heaven  a  ray 
Of   Thy  splendor  downward  dart, 


97 


98  HYMNS  FOR    WHITSUNDA  Y. 

Come,  Thou  Father  of  the  poor, 
Giver  of  gifts  and  blessings  sure, 
Come,  Thou  Light  of  every  heart. 

Comforter  of  mortal  dole  ! 
Sweet  Thy  visits  to  the    soul, 

Sweet  refreshment,  sweet  relief: 
Thou  in  labor  givest  rest, 
Coolness  to  the  heated  breast, 

Solace  in  all  times  of  grief. 

O  most  blessed  Light  divine  ! 
In  the  heart's  recesses  shine, 

And  with  grace  Thy  faithful  fill ! 
To  Thy  favoring  aid  is  due 
All  in  man  that  's  good  and  true, 

Every  thing  that  is  not    ill. 

What  is  sordid  purify, 
Duly  moisten  what  is  dry, 

Heal  Thou  what  is  hurt  and  sore  ! 
What  is  stubborn  make  Thou  meek, 
Foster  what  is  faint  and  weak, 

What  is  wandering  restore  ! 


THE    SOWER. 

To  Thy  faithful  gracious  be. 
Trusting  evermore  in  Thee, 

Give  to  them  the  sacred  seven  ! 
Give  them  virtue's  glorious  prize, 
Give  safe  exit  to    the  skies, 

Give  the  eternal  joy  of  heaven  ! 

June  4th,  1881. 


99 


THE     SOWER. 

A     HUSBANDMAN  went  forth   to  sow: 
And,  as  with  measured  step,  he  swung 
An  arm  of  vigor  to  and  fro, 
The  seed  he  flung. 

Some  by  the  wayside  fell,  thence  soon 
By  birds  devoured,  not  taking  root: 
On  rocky  places  some,  hot  noon 
Withered  the  shoot: 

Some  among  choking  thorns:    but  seed 
That  into  good  ground  fell,  behold  1 


FOREFA  THERS'  DA  Y. 

Sprung  up  and  brought  forth  fruit  with  speed 
An  hundred  fold. 

O  Saviour  !    lest  devouring  bird, 

Or  shallow  soil,  or  choking  thorn, 
Frustrate  the  mercy  of  Thy  word, 
Make  sure  the  corn  ! 


FOREFATHERS'     DAY* 

f  I  THAT  famous  Egg  of  Plymouth  Rock, 

Laid  by  a  fowl  of  noble  stock, 
Was  hatched  about  that  time  o'clock, 

They  stepped  ashore — 
The  pastor  and  his  little  flock 

The  Mayflower  bore. 

A  sample  egg,  a  pattern  food, 
Un  CEuf,  that  as  a  feast  is  good, 


*  Read  in  response  to  the  sentiment,  "All  Honor  to  the  Egg  that  hatched  the 
American  Eagle,"  December  21,  1868,  before  the  New  England  Society  of  Newark, 
N.  J.,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Anniversary  of  the  Landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
on  Plymouth  Rock,  December  10,  1620,  O.  S. 


FOREFA  THERS'  DA  Y. 

A  grand  <?^-sample  set:  fain  would 

Men    imitate; 
Get  eagles'  eggs,  too,  if  they  could, 

And  incubate. 

For  never  yet  was  there  a  thing, 
So  swift,  so  sure,  so  bold  of  wing, 
As  that  proud  Bird  whose  praise  I  sing- 
Imperial   sweep 
Of  wide-spread  pinions,  hovering 
O'er  land  and  deep. 

Mewing  her  mighty  youth,"  and  wise, 
And  kindling  her  undazzled  eyes 
At  the  full  midday  beam,  she  flies 

From  her  high  nest, 
O'er  half  the  globe,  mid  changing  skies, 

From  East  to  West. 

The  lagging  wind  she  far  outstrips, 

Sailing  the  air  as  sail  the  ships, 

O'er  prairies  broad  and  mountain  tips, 

Nor  stays  her  flight, 
Till  she  in  either  Ocean    dips 

Her  wing  of  might. 


FOREFA  THERS"  DA  Y. 

Where  is  the  acorn,  there's  the  tree: 
What  is,  gives  birth  to  what's  to  be: 
The  germ  enfolds  maturity, 

Life  upward  leaps: 
In  that  small  speck,  I  dimly  see, 

A  Nation  sleeps — 

A  bark,  lo  !  sailing  o'er  the  foam, 

In  which  our  grave  Forefathers  come, 

To  find  in  western  wilds  a  home — 

Good  seed  they  bear: 
They  sow  the  fat  and  virgin  loam 

In  faith  and  prayer. 

A  handful  of  the  heavenly  grain, 
Scattered  on  all  the  winds  with  pain, 
Is  nourished  by  the  dew  and  rain: 

On  every  side 
It  springs,  and  then  is  sown  again 

And  multiplied. 

O  fruitful  is  a  holy  thought ! 
The  planted  truth  comes  not  to  naught 
But  with  all  blessedness  is  fraught, 
Makes  glad  the  sod: 


FOREFA  THERS'  DA  Y. 

Behold,  what  wonders  it  has  wrought, 
The  Truth  of  God  ! 

The  wilderness  is  full  of  bloom, 

And  flowers  send  up  a  sweet  perfume, 

And  everywhere  is  seen,  in   room 

Of  rock  and  brier, 
Tilled  corn-fields,  rich  by  labor's  doom, 

And  curse  of  fire. 

Thicket  and  brake  no  more  conceal 
The  ancient  foes  of  human  weal, 
The  adder,  striking  at  the  heel 

With  poisoned  fang: 
Where  Industry's  unresting  wheel, 

There  war-whoop  rang. 

And  Freedom's  sun  shines  clear  and  bright, 
Through  clouds  that  erst  obscured  its  light; 
While,  from  red  fields  of  stormy  fight, 

Triumphant  comes, 
With  banners  streaming,  lo  !    the  Right 

With  beat  of  drums. 

Alas  !    from  Sin  what  sufferings   flow ! 
We  reap  the  misery  we  sow; 


103 


io4 


FOREFA  T1IERS'  DA  Y. 

Make  Nature's   friendly  powers  our  foe; 

By  false  lights  steer: 
The  fatal  cause  of  all  our  woe 

Is  here,  is  here. 

So  sunk  in  folly  is  the  race. 
So  sceptical,  profane  and  base, 
Man  flings  the  lie  in  nature's  face, 

Calls  evil,  good: 
Loves  death:    on  poison  feeds,  in  place 

Of  wholesome  food. 

From  the  world's  heart   profoundly  springs, 
How  vice  is  venomous  and  stings, 
And  none  escapes  the  pain  it  brings: 

No  human  tact 
Can  change  the  eternal  truth  of  things, 

Make  falsehood,  fact. 

Yet,  everywhere,  we  victims  meet, 

Of  so  preposterous  a  conceit, 

That  they  th'  Omniscient  God  can  cheat, 

And  trick   His  laws: — 
Though  Hell  gapes  hungry  at  their  feet, 

They  will  not  pause. 


FOREFA  TITERS'  DA  Y. 

The  sons  of  license  deem  we  prate. 

Unfolding  horrors  that  await 

The  souls  of  them  who  Wisdom   hate. 

But,  past  a  doubt, 
The  grim,  inexorable  Fate 

Will  find  them  out. 

Death  is  the  price — read  Nature's  pages — 
And   she,  with  all  her  wealth,  engages 
To  pay  to  Sin  no  other  wages. 

The  Universe 
Pledges  it  naught  through  all  the  ages 

Except  its  curse. 

Great  are  Thy  judgments,  and   unsaid  ! 
Lord  !    at  the  nodding  of  Thy  head, 
The  pillared  sky  doth  shake  with  dread  ! 

When  cried   th'  opprest 
Vainly  to  man,  Thou  cam'st  instead 

In  vengeance  drest. 

"  Right  aiming  thunderbolts,"  forth   went. 
Flying,  as  from  a  bow  well-bent, 
Out  of  the  clouds,  with  angry   rent 
Cleaving  the  dark, 


i°5 


106  FOREFA  THERS'  DA  Y. 

Flaming  across  a  Continent, 

Straight  to   the   mark — 

And   crashing  smote,  and  did   not  spare, 
Laying  the  earth's  foundations  bare, 
Toppling  the  shameless  Falsehood  there, 

And   Slavery  fell — 
A   fire,  consuming  everywhere, 

Burned  down  to  hell. 

And  folly  blamed  the  Puritan, 
That  God  is  God,  and  man  is  man; 
That  thistles  grow  not  figs,   nor  can: 

The  atheist 
Mumbled  in  vain  his  bitter  ban, 

And  shook  his  fist. 

Condemned,  as  we  have   been,  to  hear 

The  echo  of  a  foolish  sneer, 

From  men  and  boys,  for  many  a  year, 

We  would  beseech, 
That  they  relieve  th'  afflicted  ear 

From    further  speech. 


FOREFA  THERS'  DA  V. 

Your  Sires  had  failings  not  a  few; 

"New  England  Tragedies"  were  true; 

But  give  the  blessed  Sun  his  due, 

Though  he  have  spots  ! 
How  bright  his  beams  beneath  the  blue, 
Despite  his  blots  ! 

The  trafficker  in   moral  wares, 

Counts  rubbish,  and  so  cheaply  spares 

The  things  for  which  a  good  man  cares— 

'Tis  liberal,  wise: 
Patches  the  rents  in  earth's  affairs 

By  compromise: 

Profanely  storms  the   heavenly  towers 
But  jealous,  strict,  supernal  Powers 
Forbid  we  give  what  is  not  ours; 

The  Godhead  toss — 
As  one  on  beggars  pennies  showers— 

Not  feeling  loss. 

Slayer  of  dragons  in  his  day, 

St.  George  of  England   did  not  slay 

Old  Prejudice,  that  lives  alway: 


107 


io8  FOKEFA  THERS  DA  Y. 

Truth  oft  has  tried 
To  pierce,  in   many  a  fierce  affray, 
His  scaly  side. 

But  Love  can  do  what  Truth  cannot; 
Heaped  on  the  head  her  coals  are  hot; 
Forget  ye  what  can  be  forgot  ! 

Weigh  not  each  feather  ! 
Willing  your  private  griefs  to  blot, 

Shake  hands  together  ! 

Ring,  Christmas  bells,  ring  merrily  ! 

Ring,   Christus  nalus  hodie ! 

The  Christ  that  is  and  is  to  be  ! 

Ring,  brotherhood  ! 
Ring,  peace  !   ring,  love  !  ring,  jubilee  ! 

Ring,   reign  of  good  ! 


THE    SCOTCH    PLAINS.* 

TT^ROM  Scotland  the  first  settlers  came — 
And  thence  our  village  has  its  name- 
Exiles  for  conscience — some,  no  shame, 

From  Scottish  jails, 
Here  wafted,  men  of  honest  fame, 

By  stormy   gales. 

They  came  here  with  unfettered  hands: 
To  conquer  and  to  bind  the  lands: 
Earth  felt  how  strong  the  twisted  bands 

Of  honest  toil; 
And  meekly  bent  to  their  commands, 

Lords  of  the  soil. 

They  dreamed  not — none  were  so  brain-sick- 
Grain  could  be  grown  by  any  trick — 
A  conjurer's  wand  is  but  a  stick, 
A  grand   deceit — 


*  Written  and  read  by  Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  at  the  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the 
completion  of  the  stone  Parsonage  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  the  Scotch  Plains, 
New  Jersey,  July  31st,  1886. 


THE    SCOTCH    PLAINS. 

Seed  must  by  labor  be  made  quick. 
Ere  waves  the  wheat. 

Blame  not  the  churlishness  of  fields, 
If  poor  returns  your  labor  yields; 
The  sovereign  hand  the  planet  wields 

Is  God's,  not   ours; 
In  secret  cells,  the  weed  conceals 

Great  healing  powers. 

Unkempt,  uncultured,  wild  and  rude, 
Nature  was  meant  to  be  subdued, 
Through  arts  industriously  pursued, 

By  men  born  poor — 
Trained  from  the  first  by  fortitude, 

Strong  to  endure. 

Know,  sons  of  labor  !    stalwart,  strong, 

Ye  to  a  royal  line  belong  ! 

Your  sweaty  brows  are  crowned  in  sonj 

The  singing  sod 
And  cities  built  declare,  not  wrong, 

You  kings  to    God. 


THE   SCOTCH  PLAINS. 

You  stretch  a  sceptre  to  the  skies, 

And,  lo,  what  miracles  surprise  ! 

Stars  for  you  fight,  suns  set  and    rise — 

Obedient  powers 
Make  barren  wastes   a  Paradise 

Of  fruits  and  flowers. 

Labor  is  duty  none    may  shirk: 
Great  things  and  noble  therein  lurk. 
"  My  Father  worketh  and  I   work," 

Our  Master   said. 
It  surely  ought  not  you  to  irk 

To  earn  your  bread. 

You  are  the  capitalists — you  hold 
The  talisman  that  turns  to  gold, 
Who  keep  the  laws  ordained  of  old — 

Deem  them  no  clog — 
Who  buy  and  sell,  but  keep  unsold 

The  Decalogue. 

Their  eyes  have  long  been  closed  in  sleep, 
Who  saw  the  trembling  of   the  Deep, 
Heard  howling  tempests  o'er  them  sweep, 


THE    SCOTCH   PLAINS. 

Till,  safe  ashore, 
Their  hearts  began  to  bound  and  leap, 
With  joy  once  more. 

Upon  these  Plains,  where  roamed  the  deer, 
Their  care  was  first  the  ground  to  clear; 
Rude  dwellings  in  these  wilds  to  rear, 

They  worked  long  hours; 
But  sweet  their  smile,  their  joy  sincere, 

No  doubt,  as  ours. 

God-fearing  men  and  women  they, 
Who  had  been  taught  at  home  to  pray, 
And  holy  keep  the  Sabbath-day. 

They  save,  hoard,  plod, 
Till,  having  gained  the  means  to  pay, 

They  build  to  God. 

They  humbly  built,  for  they  were  few; 
But  "they  built  better  than  they  knew;" 
Their  work  shall  last  the  ages  through: 

Maternal  corn, 
From  handful    sown,  amazed  we  view 

Great  harvests  born. 


THE    SCOTCH    PLAINS.  H3 

Things  done  for  Christ  the  centuries  span, 
Ye  Churches  Metropolitan,* 
Know  ye  your  being  here  began? 

How  dear  the  breast 
On  which  thine  infancy,  O  man  ! 

Was  rocked  to  rest  ! 

When  you  sat  on  your  mother's  knee, 
She,  possibly,  did  not  foresee 
Your  urban  greatness:  but  then  ye 

Need  feel  no  shame; 
Her  patent  of  nobility 

From   Virtue   came. 

Their  Meeting-House  now  made  complete, 
Thither  they  weekly  turned  their  feet, 
Expecting  there  their  Lord  to  meet — 

Two  sermons  hear — 
For,  oh  !    the  Word  of  God  is  sweet 

To  hungry  ear. 

They  loved  their  Minister,  aware 

He  daily  in  his  arms  of  prayer 

Up  to  the  throne  of  God  them  bare. 

*  The  First  Baptist  Church  of  New  York  City  was  an  offshoot  of  the  Scotch 
Plains  Church. 


II4  THE    SCOTCH    PLAINS. 

The  war  was  past,* 
So,  for  his  use    they  reared  with  care 
A  Manse  to  last. 

They  built  of  stone,  the  act  was   brave; 
They  who  had  fought  the  Land  to  save, 
Though  by  war's  desolating  wave 

Of  much  bereft — 
Still  generous  portion  freely  gave 

Of  what  was  left. 

One  Hundred  Years  have  passed  since  then; 
While  themes  for  the  historic  pen 
Have  been  supplied,  once  and  again — 

Three  bloody  wars, 
Enacted  in  the  sight  of  men 

And  blushing  stars. 

The  monster  Slavery  is  slain, 

But  at  what  dreadful  cost  of   pain  ! 


*The  war  for  American  Independence  extended  from  April  18,  1775,  to 
November  3,  1783.  Washington  resigned  as  Commander-in-Chief,  December  23, 
1783.  Federal  Constitution  was  ratified,  June  25,  1788.  Washington  was  elected 
President,  January,   1789. 


THE    SCOTCH   PLAINS. 

Would  God  that  other  hateful  chain 

Could  broken  be — 
Intemperance — and  men  attain 

True  Liberty  ! 

Whom  Christ  makes  free  is  free  indeed: 
This  part  of  Paul,  th'  Apostle's  Creed 
Preach  !    ye  whose  business  'tis  to  plead, 

And  souls  to  win. 
Tell,  how  He  by  five  wounds  did  bleed 

To  free  from  sin. 


"5 


THE    SCOTCH    PLAINS. 

RETURN    AFTER    ABSENCE. 

T  TREAD  once  more  my  native  Plain; 

I  live  my  childhood  o'er  again; 
I,  who  sometimes  have  mourned  with  tears,. 
The  unreturning  flight  of  years, 
Feel  the  same  breezes  round  me  now, 
That  fanned  in  infancy  my  brow; 


n6  THE    SCOTCH    PLAINS. 

And  seeing  naught  that  speaks  of  change, 

In  wood,  or  field,  or  mountain  range, 

Unconscious  of  the  lapse  of  days. 

The  past  comes  back,  and  with  me  stays; 

The  intervening  time  forgot, 

The  absent  here,  the  present  not. 

How  sweetly  peaceful  and  how  still ! 
A  Sabbath  seems  the  air  to  fill; 
No  sound  disturbs  the  sacred  calm, 
Save  whisper  of  a  plaintive  psalm 
Made  by  the  leaves,  as  softly  stirred 
By  the  west  wind;  or  song  of  bird; 
Or  chirp  of  insect  in  the  grass; 
Or  buzz  of  bees  as  on  they  pass 
To  sip  the  nectar  of  the  flowers, 
Fair  birth  of  vernal  suns  and  showers; 
No  faculty  of  soul  or  sense, 
But  feels  the  blessed  influence. 

Familiar  scenes  around  me  start, 
Familiar  to  my  eyes  and  heart; 
While  every  well-known  object  seems 
Tinged  with  the  atmosphere  of  dreams; 


THE   SCOTCH  PLAINS. 

By  memory's  visionary  ray — 
More  potent  than  the  light  of  day. 
Subtler  than  that  of  moon  or  star, 
Which  merely  show  things  as  they  are — 
I  see  o'er  all,  a  glory  cast, 
A  halo  borrowed  from  the  past, 
Not  lifeless  forms  in  tree  and  stone, 
But  power  and  passions  not  their  own. 

I  once  more,  as  in  former  time, 
The  neighboring  mountain's  summit  climb, 
And  feel,  as  erst,  the  matchless  charm 
Of  woodland  and  of  cultured  farm; 
Of  fields  of  corn  and  grassy  mead, 
Where  pasturing  herds  in  quiet  feed; 
Where  hand  of  toil  its  task  achieves 
To  rear  the  haycock,  bind   the  sheaves; 
And  ploughman  whistles  to  the  gale; 
And  milkmaid  blithe  sings  o'er  the  pail; 
And  whip-poor-will,  and  house-dog's  bark, 
Make  glad  the  coming  on  of  dark. 

Where  smoke  of  village  upward  curls, 
There  lived  old  playmates,  boys  and  girls, 


117 


Il8  THE    SCOTCH   PLAINS. 

And  men  who  long  have  passed  away, 
Whose  homes  remain,  but  ah  !  not  they. 
Hard  by  yon  humble  church,  are  seen 
Their  rounded  graves  with  rank  grass  green, 

0  death  !  whose  desolating  tide 
Has  snatched  already  from  my  side 
A  father,  sister,  brother,  wife — 
Long  spare  me  her  who  gave  me  life, 
My  mother,  tenant  of  yon  roof, 
Loving  and  good,  by  every  proof. 

1  wander  by  the  shaded  stream, 
Where  I  was  wont  to  sit  and  dream 
Long  silent  hours,  from  morn  till  noon, 
Or  till  the  rising  of  the  moon, 

In  waking  visions  lost,  perchance, 
Of  poetry  and  sweet  romance; 
Or,  in  devoutest  ecstasy — 
All  conscious  of  the  Deity, 
Most  present  in  these  solitudes — 
Thrilled  with  the  murmur  of  the  woods, 
As  though  it  were  His  voice  I  heard, 
His  breath  that  all  the  tree-tops  stirred. 


PRAYER    IN  AFFLICTION. 

If  I  have  traveled  o'er  the  sea, 
Been  awed  by  its  sublimity; 
Seen  monuments  and  cities  old; 
And  mountains  soaring  in  the  cold: 
Dumb  with  adoring  wonder,  stood 
Beneath  Niagara's  thundering  flood, 
And  felt,  how  awful  was  the  place 
Where  Godhead  met  me  face  to  face — 
I  do  not  therefore  you  despise, 
Ye're  no  less  lovely  in  my  eyes, 
Scenes,  first  beheld  !  still,  in  your  face, 
I  find  a  glory  and  a  grace. 

August,  1852. 


119 


PRAYER  IN  AFFLICTION. 

Q1INCE  dust  to  Deity  may  speak, 

I  come,  O  God  !  with  bleeding  breast; 
Hot  tears  fast  falling  on  my  cheek, 

Dissolving  manhood;  heaving  chest; 
And  quivering  lip  that  unexpressed 

Leaves  words  and  utters  only  sighs — 
The  greatness  of  my  grief  attest, 

Grief  steeped  in  bitterest  memories. 


120  PRAYER    IN   AFFLICTION. 

I  need  not  tell  Thee  she  is  dead, 

Cold  in  the  church-yard,  who  to  me 
Was  as  all  earthly  joys  instead — 

My  wife,  my  lost  felicity. 
I  stretch  forth  vacant  arms  to  Thee, 

The  while  my  heart  makes  bitter  moan, 
That  I  no  more  her  form  shall  see, 

That  I  must  tread  life's  path  alone. 

Thy  brilliant  boon  of  love  and  bliss, 

In  her  bestowed,  is  mine  no  more; 
O  help  my  heart  to  bow  to  this. 

To  trust,  to  tremble,  and  adore! 
For  she,  called  mine,  was  Thine  before, 

Nor  did  my  merit  title  give, 
Else  wouldst  Thou  now  the  lost  restore,. 

And  cause  the  dead  again  to  live. 

II. 

O,  she  was  all  a  wife  should  be  ! 

Albeit  her  thoughts  were  meekly  bent 
On  household  good  and  piety, 


PRAYER    IN   AFFLICTION.  I2x 

What  life  so  sweetly  eloquent, 
Or  so  acceptable  to  Thee, 

As  one  in  humble  duty  spent ! 

If  not  to  dazzle  with  the  play 

Of  wit  was  hers,  she  knew  to  bless, 

With  smiles  as  cheerful  as  the  day, 
And  looks  of  love  and  tenderness  ; 

Maintaining  thus  by  happiest  art, 
Perpetual  sunshine  in  the  heart. 

'Twas  not  the  fading  charms  of  face, 

That  riveted  Love's  golden  chain  ; 
It  was  the  high  celestial  grace 

Of  goodness,  that  doth  never  wane — 
Whose  are  the  sweets  that  never  pall, 

Delicious,  pure,  and  crowning  all. 

III. 

Now  she  is  gone !  now  she  is  gone  ! 

Her,  thickest  night  doth  ever  shroud 
From  mortal  view,  and  I'm  like  one 

Whose  "welfare  passeth  as  a  cloud." 


PRAYER    IN   AFFLICTION. 

Lo  !  I  too  go  with  sorrow  bowed 
To  the  dim  land  of  shadows,  where 

She  waiteth,  haply,  'mid  the  crowd 
Of  coming  souls,  my  entrance  there. 

Yet  were  it  better  far  to  think, 

She's  now  my  glistering  angel  guard, 
Still  joined  by  love's  unsevered  link, 

And  near  to  keep  aye  watch  and  ward — 
Thy  swift  winged  messenger,  O  Lord  ! 

To  bear  me  good,  to  banish  ill, 
Along  life's  pathway,  steep  and  hard, 

My  solace,  friend,  and  help-meet  still. 

O,  that  my  smitten  heart  may  gush 

Melodious  praise — like  as  when  o'er 
./Eolian  harp-strings  wild  winds  rush, 

And  all  abroad  sad  music  pour, 
So  sweet,  Heaven's  minstrelsy  might  hush 

Brief  time  to  listen — for  I  know 
The  hand,  that  doth  my  comforts  crush, 

Builds  bliss  upon  the  base  of  woe. 


PRAYER    IN   AFFLICTION.  123 

If  thine  own  Son  was  perfect  made, 

Through  suffering  deep  as  hell's  abyss, 
And  light  afflictions  here  are  paid 

With  an  eternal  weight  of  bliss  ; 
Sure  I,  unmurmuring,  should  kiss 

Thy  rod  of  judgment,  patient  climb 
The  Mount  of  Pain,  content  that  this 

Leads  gradual  to  Thy  seat  sublime. 

The  time  is  near,  when  all  shall  seem, 

That  men  pursue  with  ceaseless  thirst, 
The  vainest  nothings  of  a  dream, 

Or  phantoms  by  wild  madness  nurst : 
Then  when  of  life  I  know  the  worst, 

And  death  his  stroke  shall  not  defer, 
On  my  rapt  soul  perchance  shall  burst, 

The  vision  bright  of  Heaven  and  her. 

The  murmur  of  my  whispered  prayer 
Fails  not  to  reach  Thy  listening  ear — 

Though  sounds  unnumbered  fill  the  air, 
It  o'er  them  all  swells  loud  and  clear, 


124 


ON   THE  DEATH  OF  GARFIELD. 

Proceeds  it  but  from  heart  sincere, 

All  crushed  and  contrite,  yielding  thence 

A  pleasing  fragrance,  far  more  dear 
Than  sweetest  smoke  of  frankincense. 

Newark,  September,  1845. 


ON  THE   DEATH   OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 

~T~  ET  every  weeping  Muse  draw  near, 

For  sad  and  grievous  reason, 
And  lift  a  soft  melodious  wail 

To  solemnize  the  season; 
Attune  to  sorrow  lyre  and  voice — 

A  mournful  duty  urges — 
And  mingle  low  elegaic  moan 

With  loud  Atlantic  dirges. 

See,  how  the  land,  all  stripped  to-day 

Of  yesterday's  adorning, 
Sits,  like  a  widow  in  her  weeds, 

Arrayed  in  deepest  mourning  ! 


ON    THE  DEATH  OF  GARFIELD. 

What  means  this   universal  black, 
That  clothes  all  public  places, 

And  darkens  all  our  private  homes, 
And  glooms  all  hearts  and  faces? 

The  Nation's  choice,  the  Nation's  Chief, 

Who  was  so  long  in  dying, 
All  stark  and  stiff  and  cold  in  death, 

Is  in  his  coffin  lying. 
At  dead  of  night  were  heard  the  bells 

Of  all  the  church  towers  tolling, 
While  Ocean  with  his  thousand  waves 

A  requiem  was   rolling. 

"  He  was  a  man  exceeding  wise 

Fair  spoken  and  persuading," 
All  the  divided  strands  of  truth 

With  facile  fingers  braiding. 
He  in  the  wrestle  of  debate 

Knew  all  the  arts  of  throwing — 
The  river  of   mellifluous  speech 

In  mighty  current  flowing. 


125 


126  ON   THE  DEATH  OF  GARFIELD. 

He  loved  his  country,  and  his  life 

He  placed  upon  her  altar, 
Nor  did  he  e'er  in  danger's  hour, 

In  field  or  forum  falter. 
But,  O,  the  irony  of  fate, 

Sad  ending  of  the  story, 
Quenched  was  his  sun  just  as  it  reached 

The  zenith  of  his  glory. 

God  did  not  mean  that  human  hands 

Should  wield  the  dreadful  thunder, 
Yet  fools  and  knaves  now  mimic  power 

That  rives  the  rocks  asunder. 
O  hand  accursed,  forever  red  ! 

Which  slew  the  righteous  Abel, 
"  That  fired  the  shot  heard  round  the  world," 

And  clothed  the  earth  in  sable. 

The  pendulum  of  hope  and  fear 
Was  this  and  that  way  swinging, 

Through  weary  weeks,  while  keenest  grief, 
The  Nation's  heart  was  wringing. 


ON   THE  DEATH  OF  GARFIELD. 

But  when  the  thread  more  slender  grew 
On  which  hung  in  suspension 

The  wounded  life,  and   day  by  day 
Was  seen  a  sure  declension, 

And  deadlier  grew  the  poisoned  air, 

And  summer's  heat  more  galling, 
He  heard  the  Ocean  from  afar, 

With  myriad  voices  calling. 
The  breezes  of  a  thousand  years 

From  off  the  sea  were  blowing, 
And  the  sick  blood  and  wasted  frame 

Were  absolute  for  going. 

But  flying  winds  that  brought  the  ships 

Convoyed  no  gift  of  healing; 
And  heaven  refused  to  grant  the  prayer 

Of  millions,  jointly  kneeling. 
To  die  was  better,  death  was  gain 

To  him  of  meek  behavior — 
Transported  to  the  loving  arms 

And  bosom  of  his  Saviour. 

September  24,  1881. 


127 


HORACE  — GARFIELD. 

"1  TORACE  is  said  to  have  been  a  great  favorite  of 
the  lamented  Garfield.  A  day  or  two  since, 
a  scholar,  fresh  from  the  reading  of  the  Thirtieth 
Ode  of  the  Third  Book,  wherein  the  poet,  a  privileged 
egotist,  confidently  predicts  the  perpetuity  of  his  own 
fame  (in  his  case  remarkably  verified),  thought  it 
strange  that  no  one  had  noticed  the  peculiar  ap- 
plicableness  of  the  verses  to  the  late  President. 
That  they  do  admit  of  an  easy  application,  to  some 
extent,  at  least,  is  indeed  quite  manifest,  of  which  the 
explanation  is  to  -be  found  in  the  striking  similarity 
of  the  lots  of  the  two  men.  Horace  speaks  of  himself 
elsewhere  as  the  child  of  poor  parents,  " pauperum 
sanguis  parentum"  and  here  as  having  risen  to  eminence 
from  a  mean  estate,  "ex  hutnili potens /"  and  so  after  he 
had  become  the  intimate  associate  and  bosom  friend  of 
the  first  men  of  Rome,  and  in  high  favor  with  Augustus 
himself,  he  took  no  pains  to  conceal  the  fact  of  his 
humble  birth.  He  was  noted  for  his  vigorous  common 
sense  and  his  consummate  mastery  of  expression.     The 


HORA  CE— GARFIELD. 


129 


parallel  thus  far  is  exact.  But  Horace  was  a  pagan  and 
not  a  Christian.  The  only  immortality  he  knew  was  an 
earthly  immortality,  to  be  derived  from  his  writings. 
Those  words  of  the  sixth  line  of  the  ode,  so  powerful 
in  their  brevity,  and  which  are  so  much  more  signifi- 
cant in  the  mouth  of  a  Christian  believer,  would  form 
an  appropriate  inscription  for  the  tomb  yet  to  be 
erected   to   Garfield  : 

Non  Omnis  Moriar ! 

CARMEN     XXX. 
Liber  III. 
Exegi  monumentum  aere  perennius 
Regalique  situ  pyramidum  altius; 
Quod  non  imber  edax,  non  Aquilo  impotens 
Possit  diruere,  aut  innumerabilis 
Annorum  series,  et  fuga  temporum. 
Non  omnis  moriar!    multaque  pars  mei 
Vitabit  Libitinam.     Usque  ego  postera 
Crescam  laude  recens,  dum  Capitolium 
Scandet  cum  tacita  Virgine  pontifex. 
Dicar,  qua  violens  obstrepit  Aufidus,* 

*  Now  Ofanto  in  Apulia.  Horace  was  born  on  its  banks.  Daunus,  a  legendary 
king,  ruled  over  the  southern  part  of  Apulia,  as  the  Aufidus  flowed  through  the 
western. 


i3° 


//OR  A  CE— GARFIELD. 

Et  qua  pauper  aquae  Daunus  agrestium 
Regnavit  populorum,  ex  humili  potens, 
Princeps  iEolium  carmen  ad   Italos 
Deduxisse  modos.     Sume  superbiam 
Quaesitam  meritis,  et  mihi  Delphica 
Lauro  cinge  volens,  Melpomene,  comam. 


A   NEW   TRANSLATION. 

I've  reared  a  monument  alone 

More  durable  than  brass  or  stone; 

Whose  cloudy  summit  is  more  hid 

Than  regal  height  of  pyramid; 

Which  rains  that  beat  and  winds  that  blow 

Shall  not  have  power  to  overthrow, 

Nor  countless  years  that  silent  smite, 

Nor  seasons  in  their  onward  flight. 

I  will  not,  when  I  yield  my  breath, 

Die  wholly  !   much  escaping  death, 

I  will  increase,  my  fame  shall  grow, 

Be  fresh  in  aftertimes  as  now, 

And  while  the  silent  vestal  shall 

Climb  with  the  priest  the  Capitol, 


TRANSLATIONS  OF  HORACE. 

I — risen  from  a  low  estate 
To  be  both  powerful  and  great, 
Where  rushing  Aufidus  complains 
And  Daunus  o'er  parched  regions  reigns — 
Shall  be  declared  and  honored  long 
As  one  who  first  the  stream  of  song 
Led  down  from  its  iEolic  head, 
To  run  in  an   Italian  bed. 
Put  on  that  pride,  Melpomene, 
By  merit  so  befitting  thee, 
To  me  propitious  be  alway, 
And  bind  my  hair  with  Delphic  bay  ! 
September  28,  1881. 


131 


TRANSLATIONS    OF    HORACE. 

npHE  first  of  the  two  following  Odes  of  Horace  is 
characterized  by  unusual  vivacity  and  verve.  In 
liveliness  of  fancy  and  lyric  abandon,  it  is  surpassed  by 
nothing  the  author  has  written.  The  poets,  instead  of 
dying  and  being  buried  like  ordinary  mortals,  allegoric- 
ally  represented  themselves  as  transformed  into  swans. 


132 


TRANSLATIONS  OF  HORACE. 


This  pleasant  conceit  is  here  egotistically  expanded  by 
the  poet-prophet  into  a  confident  prediction  of  his 
future  fame.  The  other  Ode,  addressed  to  Virgil,  is  a 
Tennysonian  "  In  Memoriam  "  or  dirge  on  the  death  of 
Quintilius  Varus,  a  mutual  friend. 

Book  II. — Carmen  XX. 
Ad  Mcecenatem. 

Non  usitata,  nee  tenui  ferar 
Penna  biformis  per  liquidum  aethera 
Vates:  neque  in  terris  morabor 
Longius;  invidiaque  major 

Urbes  relinquam.     Non  ego  pauperum 
Sanguis  parentum,  non  ego,  quern  vocas 
Dilecte,  Maecenas,  obibo, 
Nee  Stygia  cohibebor  unda. 

Jam  jam  residunt  cruribus  asperae 
Pelles;  et  album  mutor  in  alitem 
Superna;  nascunturque  leves 
Per  digitos  humerosque  plumae. 


TRANSLATIONS  OF  HORACE.  ^3 

Jam  Daedaleo  notior  Icaro 
Visam  gementis  litora  Bospori, 
Syrtesque  Gaetulas  canorus 
Ales  Hyperboreosque  campos. 

Me  Colchus,  et  qui  dissimulat  metum 
Marsae  cohortis,  Dacus,  et  ultimi 
Noscent  Geloni:  me  peritus 

Discet  Iber,  Rhodanique  potor. 

Absint  iani  funere  nsenise, 
Luctusque  turpes  et  querimoniae: 
Compesce  clamorem,  ac  sepulcri 
Mitte  supervacuos  honores. 


Translation. 
To  Mcecenas. 

I  will  soar  on  a  pinion  of  excellent  might, 
By  the  right  of  a  power  on  poets  conferred, 

Through   the  clear  realms   of    ether  will  take  my   far 
flight 
In  my  duplicate  shape  of  a  bard  and  a  bird, 


134 


TRANSLATIONS   OF  HORACE. 


No  longer  on  earth  will  I  draw  out  my  stay, 

I  envy  will  leave  and  the  cities  behind. 
Though  of  poor  parents  born,  while  Maecenas  shall  say 

I'm  his  friend,  I'll  not  die,  nor  by  Styx  be  confined. 

Now,  now,  a  rough  skin  my  thighs  settles  on, 

From   my   fingers  and   shoulders   spring  feathers   of 
down; 

I'm  changed  to  a  bird,  all  white,  like  the  swan, 
A  bird  of  the  fairest  and  grandest  renown. 

Than  Icarus  more  swift,  I  will  visit  the  lands 
Where  the  Euxine  is  making  perpetual  moan 

And  fields  Hyperborean  and  African  sands, 
Still  a  bird  sweetly  warbling  in  various  tone. 

Me  the  Colchians  shall  know,  and  the  Dacian,  his  fear 
Of  the  Marcian  cohorts  dissembling,  shall  own; 

Me  the  far-away  Scythians  will  learn  to  revere, 

Me  the  Spaniard,  and  he,  too,  who  drinks  of  the  Rhone, 

Since  empty  the  urn,  let  no  dirges  be  said, 
No  groans  let  there  be,  no  funereal  gloom, 

Be  clamor  all  hushed,  and  let  there  be  paid 

No  superfluous  honors  when  naught  's  in  the  tomb. 


TRANSLATIONS  OF  HORACE. 

Book    I. — Carmen    XXIV. 

Ad  Virgilium. 

Quis  desiderio  sit  pudor  aut  modus 
Tarn  cari  capitis  ?     ;Praecipe  lugubres 
Cantus,  Melpomene,  cui  liquidam  Pater 
Vocem  cum  cithara  dedit. 

Ergo  Quintilium  perpetuus  sopor 
Urget !  cui  Pudor,  et  Justitiae  soror, 
Incorrupta  Fides,  nudaque  Veritas 
Quando  ullum  inveniet  parem  ? 

Multis  ille  bonis  flebilis  occidit; 
Nulli  flebilior,  quam  tibi,  Virgili. 
Tu  frustra  pius,  heu  !  non  ita  creditum 
Poscis  Quintilium  deos. 

Quod  si  Threicio  blandius  Orpheo 
Auditam  moderere  arboribus  fidem, 
Non  vanae  redeat  sanguis  imagini, 
Quam  virga  semel  horrida, 

Non  lenis  precibus  fata  recludere, 
Nigro  compulerit  Mercurius  gregi. 
Durum  !     Sed  levius  fit  patientia, 
Quidquid  corrigere  est  nefas. 


ns 


136  TRANSLATIONS  OF  HORACE. 

Translation. 
To   Virgil. 

To  love  and  grief  o'erhead  so  dear, 
What  shame  or  limit  can  there  be  ? 
Lead  the  lament,  Melpomene, 

With  lyre  and  voice  resounding  clear  ! 

Since  fetters  now  Quintilius  bind, 
Fetters  of  endless  sleep,  ah,  when 
Shall  Modesty,  Faith  tried  of  men, 

And  naked  Truth  his  equal  find  ? 

By  many  good  men  wept  he  died, 
By  none  more,  Virgil,  than  by  thee. 
Him  back  thou  asked'st  fruitlessly, 

Thy  pious  prayers  the  gods  denied. 

Not  if  thou  sway'dst  a  lyre,  more  bland 

Than  his  which  charmed  the  listening  wood, 
Back  to  that  shade  ne'er  comes  the  blood 

Whom  Hermes  with  his  horrid  wand, 

Inexorable  and  deaf  to  prayer, 

With  his  dark  flock  folds  once  for  all. 
But  Patience,  let  what  will  befall, 
Lightens  the  load  and  helps  to  bear. 
January,  1882. 


PARIS    IN    1848    AND    1871. 

A  PERSONAL    EXPERIENCE. 

"TTUGHTEEN  hundred  and  forty-eight,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  a  year  fertile  of  revolutions. 
I  sailed  for  Europe  early  in  February.  Previous  to  my 
leaving,  nobody  seemed  to  be  aware  that  a  great  crisis  was 
impending.  A  fishing  smack  which  came  alongside  of 
our  vessel  when  we  arrived  off  Land's  End,  first  brought 
us  the  news  of  the  events  of  the  three  days  of  February 
— the  flight  of  Louis  Philippe,  the  downfall  of  the 
French  Monarchy,  and  the  establishment  of  a  Republic 
in  its  stead.  At  first  we  were  most  incredulous,  and 
disposed  to  set  it  down  as  one  of  the  biggest  "yarns." 
It  was  not  to  be  credited,  we  thought,  that  he  who  was 
reported  to  be  the  wisest,  the  most  sagacious  and  politic 
of  the  reigning  sovereigns,  who  had  neglected  no  means 
to  strengthen  and  establish  his  throne,  could  be  displaced 
so  easily,  and  with  circumstances  of  so  much  degrada- 
tion, as  if  he  had  been  some  casual,  rascally  intruder, 
who  had  got  clandestine  access  to  the  seat  of  royalty, 


1 38  PARIS  IN  1848  AND  187/. 

and  been  turned  out  as  soon  as  discovered.  Neverthe- 
less, it  was  even  so;  and  the  extraordinary  events  there 
in  France,  were  the  signal  of  other  events,  which  were 
quickly  to  follow,  not  less  extraordinary,  in  neighbor- 
ing countries.  Democracy  everywhere  became  rampant. 
The  new  power  swept  on  with  the  impetuosity  of  a 
whirlwind,  prostrating  all  before  it.  Abrupt,  startling, 
like  the  fall  of  a  thunderbolt,  or  the  concussion  of  an 
earthquake,  was  the  explosion  of  the  popular  element. 
A  little  leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump.  No  sooner 
had  the  tocsin  of  the  French  Revolution  sounded,  than 
quick  as  thought,  simultaneous  as  sympathy,  spontane- 
ous as  instinct,  the  dear  hope  of  liberty,  slumbering  in 
unnumbered  hearts,  awoke;  and  everywhere  men  became 
electrically  excited  and  dangerous  with  passion.  As  if 
they  had  read  the  handwriting  on  the  walls  of  their 
palaces,  and  knew  they  were  doomed  of  heaven,  kings 
and  rulers  yielded  at  once  with  hardly  a  show  of  resist- 
ance. Like  a  thief  surprised  in  the  midst  of  his  plunder, 
they  hastened  to  restore  to  the  people  those  rights  of 
which  they  had  been  so  long  deprived. 

In    some  cases,  to    be  sure,  a  little  reluctance    was 
manifested;  but  in  others  the  readiness  was.  extreme; 


PARIS  IN  1848  AND   187 1.  139 

and  the  offer  of  restitution  almost  anticipated  the  de- 
mand. The  small  States  in  the  South-West  of  Germany, 
as  being  neighboring  and  nearest,  first  arose.  Baden, 
Hesse-Cassel,  Wurtemburg,  Bavaria,  Nassau,  Frankfort, 
Saxony,  Saxe- Weimar  and  more  besides,  burst  out  one 
after  the  other,  and  in  quick  succession,  into  revolution- 
ary flame.  They  demanded  Constitutions,  which  should 
guarantee  to  them  freedom  of  the  press,  trial  by  jury, 
equal  rights,  equality  of  all  before  the  law,  universal 
suffrage,  and  such  like;  and  no  Duke,  Elector  or  King 
had  the  boldness  to  refuse.  Prussia  and  Austria  soon 
followed. 

But  before  this,  so  rapid  was  the  course  of  events,  the 
initiative  had  already  been  taken,  and  considerable  prog- 
ress had  been  made  towards  a  consummation,  which  had 
long  formed  the  subject  of  devout  desire  to  political 
dreamers  and  enthusiasts.  Old  Germania,  long  passed 
away,  mouldering  in  the  grave  of  centuries,  was  destined 
they  had  believed,  nevertheless,  to  have  one  day  a 
glorious  resurrection.  Everything  justified  the  hope 
that  that  day  was  near,  was  now.  What  moment  so 
auspicious  as  the  present,  a  present  teeming  with 
miracles,  to  raise  the  dead  !  To  bring  about  a  revival 
of  German  nationality  ;  to  take  out  of  the  way  all  the 


l4o  PARIS  IN  1848  AND   1871. 

artificial  barriers  and  partitions  which  had  served  to 
divide  and  keep  asunder  what  was  so  naturally  and 
properly  one  ;  to  realize,  in  a  word,  the  great  idea  of 
German  unity,  was  an  object  dear  to  the  German  heart, 
and  gave  birth  to  the  German  Parliament  meeting  at 
Frankfort. 

After  a  while  came  what  was  called  "  reactions,"" 
attroupements,  internecine  feuds,  alternate  successes  and 
reverses,  a  crowd  of  events  extraordinary,  beyond  prece- 
dent, followed  close  upon  one  another,  as  wave  follows 
wave.  In  France,  the  Provisional  Government,  with 
Lamartine,  the  poet-statesman,  at  its  head,  after  a  brief 
and  uneasy  existence  of  less  than  four  months,  set  in 
blood.  Quitting  London,  where  I  had  made  a  short 
stay  and  witnessed  a  Chartist  uprising  formidable 
enough  to  require  the  aid  of  a  Wellington  to  put  down, 
I  crossed  the  channel,  and  arrived  in  Paris  some  time  in 
April,  and  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  exciting  scenes  that 
preceded  the  terrible  outbreak  in  June.  While  it  might 
be  claiming  too  much  to  say,  quorum  pars  magna  fui> 
I  saw,  at  least,  the  Insurrection,  if  I  did  not  share  in  it, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  I  was  present,  as  it  so 
happened,  at  the  building  of  the  first  barricade,  and  had 
extraordinary    opportunities    throughout    for     a    near 


PARIS  IN  1848  AND  1 87 1.  141 

observation  of    all  that  took  place  at  that  memorable 
epoch. 

I  had  watched  and  waited  for  the  catastrophe,  knew 
that  it  was  impending  and  inevitable,  sometime  before 
it  arrived.  Then,  as  now,  shut  up  in  Paris,  were  the 
representatives  of  two  great  parties.  The  party  in 
power,  made  up  of  moderates,  were  sincere  Republicans, 
with  notions  of  liberty,  a  little  sentimental  and  Frenchy 
perhaps,  but  tolerably  just  and  reasonable,  who  labored 
with  honest  earnestness  to  organize  a  government  calcu- 
lated to  secure  it.  The  other  party,  consisting  mostly  of 
the  ''baser  sort,"  ignorant  and  unprincipled,  calling 
themselves  workmen  (ouvriers),  but  the  majority  of 
them  the  most  idle  and  vicious  of  the  class,  mixed  up, 
it  may  be,  with  some  well-meaning  and  misguided  per- 
sons— organized  into  clubs,  and  incited  by  bad  and  de- 
signing men,  soon  began  to  dictate  and  to  threaten, 
with  boundless  insolence,  dangerous  to  the  tottering  and 
unsettled  foundations  of  the  existing  government.  The 
expected  collision  at  last  came;  and  after  a  doubtful  and 
bloody  struggle,  the  Reds  were  defeated.  Martial  law 
was  declared,  and  Lamartine  with  his  associates,  scien- 
tists, poets,  publicists — at  best  theoretic  statesmen — gave 
place  to  the  soldier,  Cavaignac,  and   France  underwent 


142  PARIS  IN  1848  AND  1871. 

another  of  those  "  transformations  "  to  which,  accord- 
ing to  Victor  Hugo,  she  is  so  much  addicted.  An  elec- 
tion was  ordered,  and  before  the  close  of  that  most 
eventful  year,  Louis  Napoleon  was  chosen  President  of 
the  French  Republic,  by  a  majority  so  overwhelming 
as  to  make  it  doubtful  even  then,  whether  Bona- 
partism  had  not  usurped  the  place  of  Republican- 
ism in  the  heart  of  the  nation.  About  the  same  time, 
the  King  of  Prussia  promulged  a  constitution  of  his 
own  devising,  dissolving  at  the  same  time,  most  arbi- 
trarily, the  Constitutional  Assembly,  to  whom  the  task 
of  preparing  it  had  been  committed  ;  the  Emperor  of 
Austria  abdicated  in  favor  of  his  nephew  ;  and  the  Pope 
fled  in  disguise  from  his  dominions.  After  three  years 
came  the  coup  d'etat  of  Louis  Napoleon  —  thenceforth 
Napoleon  III.* 

Admitting  that  the  real  cause  of  the  present  war 
between  France  and  Germany  was  other  than  the  osten- 
sible one,  and  that  the  true  motive  was  national  jealousy 
looking  for  a  pretext,  the  fact  remains,  that  none  could 
be  found  but  one  more  frivolous  even  than  that  which 

"  Launched  a  thousand  ships 
And  burnt  the  topless  towers  of  Ilium;" 

♦See  "The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems,"  p.  161. 


PARIS  IN  1848  AND  1871.  I43 

and  out  of  it  have  come  more  than  an  "  Iliad  of  woes."  We 
sit  at  home  by  our  pleasant  firesides,  and  languidly  read 
prosaic  telegrams  of  yesterday's  battles,  compared  with 
which  those  fought  on  the  plains  of  ancient  Troy,  form- 
ing the  subject  matter  of  Homer's  immortal  Epic,  were 
petty  and  bloodless. 


Let  Prussia  beware,  lest  in  the  end  her  victory  prove 
a  Cadmean  victory,  one  in  which  she  will  suffer  as  much 
as  her  enemy.  Bacon  relates  of  Henry  VII,  that  he 
always  professed  to  love  and  seek  Peace,  and  that  his 
usual  preface  in  his  treaties,  was :  "When  Christ  came 
into  the  world,  Peace  was  sung,  and  when  He  went  out 
Peace  was  bequeathed!"  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
newly-declared  Emperor  of  Germany  will  act  in  the 
spirit  of  so  divine  a  sentiment,  and  not  protract  the  war 
a  single  hour  beyond  what  is  necessary.  Let  him 
remember,  Emperor  though  he  be, 

"  And  though  his  arm  should  conquer  twenty  worlds, 
There  is  a  lean  fellow  that  beats  all  conquerors," 

and  that  he  too,  and  that  right  soon,  must  answer  at 


i44  PARIS  IN  1848  AND  1871. 

the  judgment  bar  of  the  Most   High   God,   for  all  the 
deeds  done  in  the  body. 

In  closing  this  review  of  a  period  going  back  twenty- 
three  years,  during  which  it  is  safe  to  say,  what  with 
wars  in  the  Crimea,  in  India,  in  Italy,  in  America,  in 
Germany,  and  now  again  in  France,  there  has  been  an 
amount  of  bloodshed  unmatched  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  it  is  natural  to  enquire  whether  anything  has  been 
gained  by  all  this  dreadful  waste  in  brief  mortality. 
Something,  we  would  fain  hope,  to  the  cause  of  civil 
liberty.  In  Italy,  national  unity  is  nn  fait  accompli,  with 
an  indefinite  enlargement  of  the  domain  of  freedom.  In 
Austria  and  in  Spain  there  has  been  a  wonderful  advance. 
At  home  we  are  happily  freed  from  the  incubus  of  slav- 
ery. Serfdom  has  been  abolished  in  Russia.  All  this 
would  seem  to  indicate  progress.  Everything  human, 
however,  is  imperfect.  All  governments  hitherto  have 
been  little  better  than  attempts  at  government.  Those 
governments  deemed  the  strongest,  have  been  found 
when  tested,  utter  weakness,  and  passed  away  in  an 
hour.  What  are  armies  and  navies  and  munitions  of 
war  but  signs  of  weakness — the  props  and  supports  of 
a  falling  edifice?     We  are  probably  destined  to  witness 


ROME,    ITALY.       #  I4g 

this  strange  and  shifting  phantasmagoria  of  vanishing 
thrones,  of  shams  and  semblances,  of  would-bes  and 
are-nots,  until  that  kingdom  which  is  said  to  come 
"without  observation,"  and  to  be  "within"  us,  and 
whose  characteristic  is  "forever,"  is  fully  set  up. 
Newark,  1871. 


ROME,     ITALY. 

February,  1854. 

/~\NE  chief  charm  of  this  melancholy  city  just  now  is 
its  foreign  society  ;  and  the  English  and  Ameri- 
can visitors  far  outnumber  all  others.  An  observing 
friend,  who  is  curious  in  statistics,  reckons  the  num- 
ber at  seventeen  hundred  ;  and  they  seem,  for  the 
most  part  disposed  to  be  as  agreeable  as  possible,  in- 
dividual and  home  distinctions  being  for  the  time 
merged  in  a  more  generous  feeling  of  fellowship.  So 
that  one  may  sometimes  see  "lords  and  ladies"  by 
courtesy  mingling  without  insolence  in  the  same  circles 
with  our  untitled  American  noblesse — possessing,  indeed, 
honorably  acquired  patents  to  social  recognition  abroad, 
though  inferior,  it  may  be,   in   that  self-discipline,  that 


I46  ROME,    ITALY. 

ease  and  simplicity  of  manner  which  is  among  the 
latest  results  of  refinement  and  cultivation  in  polite 
intercourse.  In  truth,  that  easy  and  becoming  air  which 
Tully  celebrates  as  the  distinguishing  mark  of  an 
accomplished  gentleman,  is  a  rare  attainment  any- 
where. But,  after  all,  the  great  charm  of  intelligent 
social  intercourse  is  breadth  of  sympathy,  and  I  know 
of  no  pleasanter  refreshment  after  a  fatiguing  day 
among  these  stupendous  remains  of  ancient  ostenta- 
tion, than  an  American  reunion  at  one  of  Mrs.  Craw- 
ford's agreeable  soirees,*  where  Truth  and  Nature 
keep  company  with  the  Graces.  The  society  of  Rome 
itself  is  more  ostentatious  and  less  cheerful  than  that 
of  either  of  the  other  Italian  capitals.  In  fact, 
few  of  the  noble  families  open  their  doors  for 
company.  The  habitual  gloom  which  hangs  over  the 
city,  affects  also  the  social  atmosphere.  *  *  *  *  * 
The  Coliseum  is  a  striking  image  of  the  city  itself — 
decayed,  vacant,  gloomy,  half  gray  and  half  green,  erect 

♦Those  of  the  Hon.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  B.  Kinney,  in  Florence,  Dr.  Coles  found  to 
be  equally  agreeable  and  entertaining;  there  he  met  Robert  and  Elizabeth  Barrett 
Browning  and  others  of  literary  fame. 

While  in  Florence,  Dr.  Coles  was  also  a  welcome  guest  at  the  home  and  studio 
of  Hiram  Powers.  The  marble  busts  of  "Eve"  and  "Charity,"  by  this  dis- 
tinguished American  sculptor,  were  subsequently  purchased  by  Dr.  Coles  and  are 
now  at  Deerhurst. 


WINDERMERE. 


147 


on  one  side  and  fallen  on  the  other,  with  consecrated 
ground  in  the  middle  ;  visited  withal  by  people  of  all 
sorts,  moralists,  antiquaries,  artists,  devotees,  etc.  The 
emptiness  and  stillness  of  the  streets  contrast  painfully 
with  those  of  living  cities,  though  this  is  in  keeping  with 
the  desolate  majesty  of  the  city  of  the  Caesars.  The 
sound  of  carts  and  carriages  is  rarely  heard,  and  after 
nine  in  the  evening  profound  stillness  reigns.     *     *     * 

— From  "  Correspondence  of  the  Newark  Daily  Advertiser." 


WINDERMERE.* 

/^vNCE  more,  sweet  Windermere  !  once  more 

I  tread  thy  consecrated  shore  : 
From  distant  lands  my  pilgrim  feet 
Have  sought  thy  exquisite  retreat, 
Where  thou,  like  holiest  anchorite, 
Dost  muse  by  day  and  dream  by  night, 
While  mirrored  in  thy  peaceful  breast, 
All  images  of  beauty  rest — 

*  Westmoreland,   England.     Wordsworth,  Southey,  Coleridge,  Wilson  (Chris- 
topher North),  DeQuincey,  etc.,  were  all  sometime  residents  of  the  Lake  District. 


I48  WINDERMERE. 

The  glories  of  the  morn  and  even, 
The  matchless  excellence  of  heaven. 

The  mountains,  towering  and  grand, 
O'erlooking  thee,  enamored  stand  ; 
Well  pleased,  each  in  his  proper  place 
To  catch  new  glimpses  of  thy  face. 
With    what  a  splendor  God  endows 
Their  most  superb  and  kingly  brows  ! 
Yet  not  the  proudest  far  or  near, 
But  holds  thee  honorable  and  dear. 
How  those  behind  would  seem  to  strain. 
And  tiptoe  stand  a  sight  to  gain  ! 

A  higher  homage  yet  than  these 
Is  whispered  in  the  passing  breeze  ; 
Celestial  warblings,  soft  and  clear, 
Steal  sweetly  on  my  ravished  ear. 
O  favored  Lake  !  above  whose  banks, 
Immortal  Bards  have  sung  their  thanks, 
For  that  they  knew  to  thee  they  owed 
Much  of  the  rapture  they  bestowed, 
That  half  the  secret  of  their  art 
Was  thy  shrined  beauty  in  their  heart. 
1855. 


NIAGARA.* 

TT10REVERMORE,  from  thee,  Niagara! 

Religious  Cataract  !    Most  Holy  Fane  ! 
A  service  and  a  symphony  go  up 
Into  the  ear  of  God.     'Tis  Sabbath  morn. 
My  soul,  refreshed    and  full  of   comfort,  hears 
Thy  welcome   call    to    worship.      All  night  long 
A  murmur,  like  the  memory  of  a  sound, 
Has  filled  my  sleep  and  made  my  dreams  devout. 
It  was  the  deep  unintermittent    roll 
Of  thy  eternal  anthem,  pealing  still 
Upon  the  slumbering  and  muffled  sense, 
Thence  echoing  in  the  soul's  mysterious  depths 
With  soft  reverberations.     How   the  earth 
Trembles  with  hallelujahs,  loud  as  break 
From  banded  Seraphim  and  Cherubim 
Singing  before  the  Throne,  while  God  vouchsafes 
Vision  and  audience  to  prostrate  Heaven  ! 
My  soul,  that  else  were  mute,  transported  finds 
In  you,  O  inarticulate  Harmonies  ! 

♦From  the  poem,  "A  Sabbath  at  Niagara." 


i5° 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 

Expression  for  unutterable  thoughts, 
Surpassing  the  impertinence  of  words. 
For  that  the  petty  artifice  of  speech 
Cannot  pronounce  th'  Unpronounceable, 
Nor  meet  the  infinite  demands  of  praise 
Before  descending  Godhead,  lo  !  she  makes 
Of  this  immense  significance  of  sound, 
Sublime  appropriation,  chanting  it  anew, 
As  her  "Te  Deum,"  and  sweet  Hymn  of  Laud. 


THE      BETTER      COUNTRY. 

BERNARD  OF  CLUNY  (l2TH  CENTURY). 

TRANSLATION. 

rpHE  last  of  the  hours,  iniquity  towers, 

The  times  are  the  worst,  let  us  vigils  be  keeping ! 
Lest  the  Judge  who  is  near,  and  soon  to  appear, 

Shall   us  at  His  coming  find  slumbering  and  sleep- 
ing. 
He  is  nigh,  He  is  nigh  !     He  descends  from  the  sky 

For  the  ending  of  evil,  the  right's  coronation, 
The  just  to  reward,  relief  to  afford, 

And  the  heavens  bestow  for  the  saints'  habitation  : 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY.  151 

To  lift  and  unbind  grievous  weights  from  the  mind, 

To  give  every  man  what  is  just  and  is  equal, 
To  make  the  good  glad,  and  punish  the  bad, 

To  the  praise  of  His  justice  and  grace  in  the  sequel. 
Most  clement  and  dear,  most  just  and  severe, 

Lo  !  cometh  the  King  in  terrible  splendor, 
Man  springs  from  the  sod,  and  the  Man  who  is  God, 

The   Judge   from    the    Father,   stands    sentence    to 

render. 
******* 
The  life  here  below  so  brief  is  brief  woe, 

A  brief  mortal  space  for  weeping  afforded; — 
Not  briefly  to  sigh,  then  lie  down  and  die, 

Is  the  life  that  's  to  be  hereafter  awarded. 
O  most  blessed  award  !  the  gift  of  the  Lord, 

A  life  whose  long  years  cannot  be  computed; 
O  strange  award  given  !  a  mansion  in  heaven 

Assigned  to  the  guilty,  the  sometime  polluted. 
What  's  given,  and  to  whom  ?     In  the  firmament,  room 

To  the  needy  and   those  by  the  cross  worthy  ren- 
dered— 
Yea,  on  Mercy's  sweet  terms,  orbs  celestial  to  worms, 

To  felons  the  best,  to  the  hateful  stars,  tendered. 
Now  are  battles  most  hard;  after  these  the  reward. 


*52 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 


Reward  of  what  sort?     Reward  without  measure; — 
Full  refreshment,  repose,  full  exemption  from  woes, 

No  suffering,  no  pain,  only  unalloyed  pleasure. 
Now  live  we  in  hope,  and  Zion  must  cope 

With  Babylon  proud  and  the  powers  infernal; 
Now  affliction    makes    sad,   then    delight    shall    make 
glad, 
And  there  shall  be  crowns  and  sceptres  supernal. 
Then  new  glory  divine  on  the  righteous  shall  shine, 
And    chase    from    their   breasts    the    darkness    that 
paineth, 
Chase    doubt    and    chase    fear,    and    enigmas    make 
clear — 
The   light   of     true    sabbaths,    "the    rest    that    re- 
maineth." 
All  free  from  the  foe  and  his  master  shall  go, 

The  Hebrew,  whose  feet  heavy  chains  now  environ, — 
He  henceforth  held  free  shall  keep  jubilee, 

No  more  to  be  bound  in  affliction  and  iron. 
A  Country  of  light,  unacquainted  with  night, 

Where  of  tempest  and  strife  nothing  breaks  the  deep 
slumber, 
With  inhabitants  free  it  replenished  shall  be — 

Enlarged  with  true  Israelites  countless  in  number. 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 


153 


Country  splendid  and  grand,  and  a  flowery  land 

That    's    free    from     all    thorns    and    free    from    all 
dangers, 
Is  there  to  be  given  to  the  free  born  of  heaven — 

The    faithful,     who    here     are     now    pilgrims     and 
strangers. 
Shall  then  be  unrolled,  to  all  that  behold 

The  face  of  the  Thunderer,  and  to  such  solely, 
The  utmost  extreme  of  power  supreme, 

Full  knowledge,  the  unutterable  peace  of  the  holy: 
A  peace  by  the  tongue  of  slander  unstung; 

A  peace  without  storm,  without  wrangling  or  rancor. 
To  labors  a  goal,  and  to  billows  that  roll 

And  tumults  a  fixed  immovable  anchor. 
My  King  is  my  part,  God  Himself  in  my  heart, 

In  His  own  proper  beauty  august  and  endearing 
I  shall  see  and  enshrine  and  challenge  as  mine, — 

My  Author  and  Saviour, — before  Him  appearing. 
Then  the  Israel  of  grace  shall  Jacob  displace, 

And  Leah  be  Rachel  in  form  and  affection; 
Then  Zion  shall  stand,  a  beautiful  land, 

In  all  the  completeness  of  God-like  perfection. 
O  Country  most  dear,  our  longing  eyes  here, 

As  they  view  thee  afar,  with  desire  are  aching; 


I54  THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 

At  the  sound  of  thy  name  our  hearts  are  aflame, 

And    our    eyes    are    aweary    'twixt    weeping    and 
waking. 
Thy  mention  brings  rest,  is  balm  to  the  breast, 

Is  the  cure  of  our  grief,  and  takes  away  sadness; 
The  thinking  of  thee  and  the  bliss  that  shall  be, 

Is  a  fire  of  love  and  a  fountain  of  gladness. 
The  only  place  thou  that  draws  our  hearts  now, — 

Thou  Paradise  art,  thou  our  blissful  Hereafter; 
No  tears  are  found  there,  no  sorrow,  no  care, 

But  serenest  rejoicings  and  innocent  laughter. 
There  planted  are  seen,  eternally  green, 

The  laurel  and  cedar,  with  the  hyssop  low  growing; 
There  are  walls  with  the  rays  of  the  jasper  ablaze, 

With  the  carbuncle  bright,  incandescent  and  glow- 
ing: 
The  sardius  shines  there,  here  the  topaz  most  rare, 

Here    the    beams    of    the    amethyst    with    the    rest 
mingle; 
To  thy  fabric  belong  the  heavenly  throng, 

The  corner-stone  Christ,  gem  precious  and  single. 
Without  shore,  without  time,  everlasting  sublime, 

Thou,  fountain  and  stream  late  hitherward  flowing, 
To  the  good  tastest  sweet,  living  rock  at  their  feet 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY.  155 

That   all   through   the   wilderness   gladdened    their 
going. 
Thine  's  ther  laurel's   green  crown   with  its  leaf  never 
brown; 
Rich  dower  all  golden,  fair  spouse,  is  thee  given; 
Thine  's  the  exquisite  bliss  of  the  Prince's  first  kiss. 
And  the  sight  of  His  face  like  a  vision  of  heaven. 
Fair  lilies  and  white,  living  gems  flashing  bright, 

Compose,  happy  spouse,  thy  bridal  adorning; 
Sits  the  Lamb  by  thy  side,  and  beams  on  His  bride, 
Like  the  sun  when  he  breaks  through  the  gates  of 
the  morning; 
Thy  whole  sweet  employ,  in  triumph  and  joy, 
Sweet  anthems  of  praise  to  warble  forever; 
Evils  merited  tell,  blessings  granted  as  well, 

With  shoutings  to  grace  that  terminate  never. 
City  golden  and  blest,  from  thy  fields'  teeming  breast 

Flow  rivers  of  milk, — fair  people,  fair  dwellings; 
Thou  the  whole  heart  dost  whelm,  such  the  charms  of 
thy  realm, 
Choked  is  the  voice  with  the  heart's  mighty  swell- 
ings. 
Confined  here  below,  I  pretend  not  to  know 

What  forms  this  rejoicing,  the  kind  of  light  given, 


i56  THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 

Nor  how  lofty  the  heights  of  those  social  delights, 

Nor  how  special  the  glory  that  constitutes  heaven. 
These  striving  to  raise  in  an  effort  of  praise, 

My  mind  overmastered,  lo  !  fainteth  and  faileth; 
O  glory  unknown,  I  am  conquered  I  own, 

Thy  superior  praise  in  all  things  prevaileth. 
There  are  shoutings  and  calls  in  thy  echoing  halls 

With  the  martyr  host  full,  a  glorious  muster, 
With  the  citizen,  bright,  with  the  Prince  aye  in  sight, 

Serene  evermore  with  a  soft,  sacred  lustre. 
There  sweet  pastures  around  for  the  gentle  abound, 

For  the  saints  a  dear  flock  by  the  water  brooks  graz- 
ing; 
There's  the  throne  of  the  King,  there  the  palace-walls 
ring 

With  the  sound  of  a  multitude  feasting  and  praising. 
Nation  glorious  and   grand,   through    the   conquering 
hand 

Of  the  Leader,  a  host  in  white  vestments  shining, 
Through  the  long  rolling  years    they  remain  without 
tears; 

In  the  dwellings  of  Zion  there  is  rest  from  repining. 
Without  crime,  without  storm,  to  mar  and  deform, 

Without  weapons  of  strife,  without  matter  of  quarrel, 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 


157 


The  Israelites  blest  in  their  lofty  homes  rest, — 

The  olive  of  peace  intertwined  with  the  laurel. 
O  illustrious  name,  Zion,  highest  in  fame, 

Whose  glory  is  that  to  the  glorified  owing, 
Thou  dost  knowledge  dispense  to  the  innermost  sense, 

Thy  innermost  good  thus  secretly  showing. 
My  innermost  eyes,  thus  piercing  the  skies, 

From    the   mind's   highest   peaks    delighted    behold 
thee; 
Now  my  breast,  all  on  fire  with  hope  and  desire, 

Transported  expects  sometime  to  enfold  thee. 
Thou  Zion  art  one,  beside  thee  is  none, — 

Upreared  in  the  skies  a  mythical  dwelling, — 
Now  in  thee  I  am  glad,  now  in  me  I  am  sad, 

I  sob  and  I  sigh  with  breast  heaving  and  swelling. 
Since  the  body's  dull   clod   keeps  me  back  from    my 
God, 

Thee  to  pierce  I  oft  try  with  spiritual  pinion, 
But  earthy  flesh,  fleshy  earth,  makes  th'  attempt  little 
worth, 

And  I  quickly  fall  back  to  the  senses'  dominion. 
No  mortal  may  dare  with  his  mouth  to  declare — 

The    talk    were    presumptuous    and    desperate    the 
duty — 


158  THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 

Where  thy  walls,  how  they  rise,  in  what   part   of  the 

skies 
Thy  capitals  shine  complete  in  their  beauty. 
Thy  charms,  they  weigh  down  the   heart  wholly  and 

drown, 

0  Zion  !     O  Peace  beyond  all  conceiving  ! 
City  blest,  without  time,  dear,  tranquil,  sublime, 

No  possible  praise  can  e'er  be  deceiving. 
No  delights  vain  and  lewd,  and  no  sorrows  intrude, 

No  strife  with  its  wasting,  its  burning  and  blasting; 
Home  happy  and  high,  flowery  land  of  the  sky, 

Land  native  to  bliss  and  the  life  everlasting. 
City,  seen  from  afar,  where  the  glorified  are, 

On    a   safe   and    high    shore,    lo !    thy   towers    are 
soaring, 
Thee  I  sue,  I  admire,  thee  I  love,  I  desire, 

Sing  hymns  unto  thee,  and  salute  thee  adoring. 
Not  on  merit,  but  grace,  I  rest  solely  my  case, 

For,  measured  by  merit,  condemned  my  condition; 
Not  dumb  and  perverse  do  I  cover  the  worse — 

1  own  I  'm  a  child  of  wrath  and  perdition. 
My  life  's  a  life  spilt,  void  of  good,  full  of  guilt, 

A  life  like  to  death,  without  vital  expressions, 
Its  innocence  quenched,  from  its  proper  life  wrenched, 


THE    BETTER    COUNTRY.  I59 

Destroyed  by  reason  of  deadly  transgressions. 
Notwithstanding  in  hope  I  walk  softly  and  grope, 

In  hope  and  in  faith  heavenly  guerdons  beseeching; 
I  trembling  and  weak,  eternal  joys  seek, 

By  night  and  by  day  imploring  hands  reaching. 
Our  Father  above,  whose  nature  is  love, 

The  best  and  the  dearest,  He  made  and  He  saved 
me, 
With  my  vileness  He  bore,  from  my  vileness  He  tore, 

From  my  sin  and  uncleanness  He  graciously  laved 
me. 
Grace  celestial  alone,  direct  from  the  throne,* 

Is  the  sovereign  provision  of  God's  own  appointing, 
The  sordid  of  soul  to  save  and  make  whole, 

For  inward  diseases  the  potent  anointing. 
Grace  washes  away  all  pollution  for  aye, — 

The  Fountain  of  David,  as  free  as  redundant, 
Makes  pure  all  within,  makes  clean  from  all  sin, 

To  all  alike  flows  in  measure  abundant. 
O  excellent  grace  !  to  an  excellent  place 

Me  raise  to  discern  stately  palaces  gleaming, 
At  a  distance,  at  least,  see  the  heavenly  feast, 

With  holiest  mirth  and  melody  teeming. 

♦Grace  celestial  alone  is  the  only  means  known.    First  edition. 


160  THE    BETTER    COUNTRY. 

Thou  Zion  !  O  mine,  my  hope  all  divine  ! 

Like    gold,    but    far    nobler,    t'    our    dazzled    eyes 
looming-, 
Most  brilliant  thy  host,  but  their  Leader  's  thy  boast, 

Brave  region  with  laurel  perpetually  blooming. 
O  Country  most  sweet,  shall  my  eyes  ever  greet 

Thy  turrets  and  towers,  and  know  thy  enjoyments? 

0  Country  most  blessed,  e'er  in  thee  shall  I  rest, 
Possess  thy  rewards  and  share  thy  employments? 

Tell  me,  I  pray,  render  answer,  and  say: 

"Thou  shalt  hereafter  most  surely  behold  me — 

1  hope  entertain,  the  thing  hoped  shall  I  gain  ?* 

O  say:  Thou  forever  shalt  have,  and  shalt  hold  me.f 
Advanced  to  that  sphere,  O  holy,  most  dear, 

O  blessed,  thrice  blessed  and  blessed  forever, 
Who  with  cleaving  of  heart,  chose  God  for  his  part: 

O  wretched,  undone,  who  from  this  did  him  sever. 

— From  "O/d  Gems  in  New  Settings." 

*  I  solid  hope  grasp,  what  I  hope  shall  I  clasp  ?    First  edition, 
t  O  say:  In  thy  arms  thou  forever  shalt  hold  me.    First  edition. 


PROEM. 

[from  "the  evangel."*] 

SPIRIT    DIVINE,  the  adding  up  of  gifts, 
Communicable  Godhead,  be  my  Guest! 
Grant  me  the  true  afflatus  that  uplifts, 
And   be  the  oracle  within  my  breast  ! 
Guide  me  into  all  truth  !  bestow  Thy  best — 
Life,  light,  and  love,  that  clarity  of  being 
Without  which  there  can  be    no  certainty  of  9eeing, 

No  right  discernment,  singleness  of  eye  ! 
In  vain  Thy  beams  illuminate  the  page  : 
In  vain  the  azure  of  that  blessed  sky 
Blazons  dear  attributes  from  age  to  age  : 
Blinded  philosopher,  and  darkling  sage, 
The  wise  and  prudent,  seeing,  nothing  see, 
Because  there  dwells  in  them  no  true  sincerity. 


*  Among  letters  received  by  Dr.  Coles,  in  which  mention  is  made  of  "The 
Evangel"  and  "'The  Light  of  the  World,"  we  find  one  from  the  Right  Hon.  W. 
E.  Gladstone,  M.  P.,  written  from  10  Downing  street,  Whitehall,  January  17,  1885; 
and  one  from  Stephen  Gladstone,  written  from  Hawarden  Rectory,  Chester, 
February  20,  1885. 


162  PROEM. 

O  ignorance  and  folly  of  the  wise  ! 
Men  never  tire  of  endless  labor,  spent 
In  building  Babels,  and  in  babbling  lies  ; 
Blowing  up  bubbles  of  most  gay  ostent, 
Mere  emptiness,  on  solemn  trifling  bent : 
They  from  creation  the  Creator  take, 
And  then  th'  astonished  air  with  their  Eurekas  shake. 

Of  that  called  Science,  much  is  only  guess. 
False  as  the  Koran  half  that  it  declares  : 
It  feigns  beginnings  full  of  foolishness — * 
Faith  hath  its  ladder  which  it  climbs  by  prayers — 
This  jumps  the  moon  in  fault  of  facts  for  stairs  ; 
And  Ignorance,  that  cannot  make  a  pin, 
Will  make  you  myriad  worlds,  and   throw  as  many  in. 

Science  is  certainty,  is  truth  found  out, 
Not  dreams  about  the  genesis  of  man, 
Monstrous  assumings,  that  admit  no  doubt 
He  from  the  lowest  forms  of  life  began. 
We  dare  to  call  him  cheat  and  charlatan, 
Pretender,  and  no  architect  at  all, 
Who  builds  on  airy  guess  a  leaning,  tottering  wall. 

*See  Dr.  Coles'  criticism  in  "The  Evangel,"  pp.  4-12,  on  Mr.  Darwin's  work, 
"The  Descent  of  Man." 


PROEM.  z63 

A  specious  likelihood  helps  not  the  case  ; 
One  single  proof  were  worth  a  million  such  : 
Science  is  never  broader  than  its   base ; 
Th'  extended  fabric  topples  at  a  touch, 
Jutting  o'er  fact — a  hair's  breadth  is  too  much — 
For  there  is  emptiness  and  the  abyss, 
Hungry  for  unrealities  as  vain  as  this. 

It  is  the  greater  that  includes  the  less, 
Not  less  the  greater.     One  is  not  made  four 
But  by  addition.     From  all  singleness 
Th'  involved  unit  is  evolved,  no  more — 
Development  increases  not  the  store — 
After  its  kind  each  thing  unfolds  its  powers  : 
Man  sums  and  tops  them  all — and  by  addition  towers 

Not  evolution;  otherwise  he  ought, 
When  dormant  in  the  mollusk,  to  have  woke, 
Growing  to  more  till  to  perfection  brought, 
Seen  to  be  nearer  as  each  morning  broke — 
As  from    the  acorn  grows  unstayed  the  oak — 
In  straight  progression    to  his  goal  and  bound  : 
Not  mollusk  after  mollusk  circling  round  and   round, 


164  PROEM. 

Through  all  the  ages  not  advanced  a  jot. 
Which  is  he,  then,  philosopher  or  fool? 
Who  gropes  in   protoplasm  and  finds  a  dot, 
And  calls  it  man,  according  to  the  school, 
Far  famed,  of  vvhittlers,  whittling  down  by  rule 
Humanity,  till  of  humanity  bereft, 
A  microscopic  cypher,  meaning  naught,  is  left : 

And  then,  lest  this  primordial  cell  should  hold 
Reason  for  Deity,  they  it  invert 
And  spill  the  life  ;  and  of  the  mighty  old 
Nothing  retain,  but  simply  dregs  and  dirt — 
Matter  and  force — whence  rose,  they  dare  assert, 
A  Godless  universe  :  blind  struggle  and  endeavor 
Securing  God-like  ends  infallibly  forever. 

Since  they  deny  not  to  the  world  we  see 
Birth  and  beginning,  and  are  proud   to  show 
Their  learned  aptness  in  cosmogony — 
How  vulgar  dust  became,  we  seek  to  know, 
Germ  of  the  Infinite,  God  in  embryo, 
Where  hidden  lay  not  only   heaven   and   earth, 
But  waiting  Deity  Himself,  not  come  to  birth. 


PROEM.  r65 

Omniscience  is  somewhere  :  we  must  assume 
Omniscient  atom,  or  omniscient  mind — 
A  boundless  Unit  in  unbounded  room — 
An  All  in   all,  or  under  or  behind — 
Or  God,  or  His  equivalent,  that  designed 
After  ideals  this  majestic  whole, 
And  gave  to  man  a   moral  and  religious  soul. 

Justice   there  is,  administrative   Right, 
Somewhere,  in  something,  name  it  as  you  may, 
Wielding  a  sceptre  of  imperial  might, 
Whose  awful  mandates  none  may  disobey  : 

"  You  ought,  you  shall,  you  must,"  we  hear  it  say  : 
The  voice  is  God's,  unless  the  voice   deceive, 

And  we  in  high  judicial  atoms  can  believe. 

If  Nature  does  not  juggle  us,  we  are  ; 
Not  only  are,  but  are  the  thing  we  seem — 
No  docetism  of  science,  making  jar 
'Twixt  fact  and  fact,  convinces  us  we  dream  : 
They  sin  against  their  Maker  and   blaspheme 
Who  trust  the  lower  and  distrust  the  higher, 
And  criminating  consciousness  make  God  a  liar. 


1 66  PROEM. 

Mind  is  and  rules,  and  matter  is  her  slave — 
Resistless  might  and  monarchy  of  will 
Over  wide  realms  a  thousand  sceptres  wave, 
Making  blind  force  her  purposes  fulfill — 
Supreme  in  freedom,  knowing  good  and  ill  : 
Th'  accountable  I  am,  the  moral  me, 
By  no  dissolving  bands  is   joined  to   Deity. 

Knowledge  is  good,  divine  it  is  to  know — 
Man's  earliest  instinct  is  a  cry  for  light. 
O  for  some  guiding  certainty   below  ! 
For  full  of  doubt  and  terror   is  the  night 
Vague  threatening  shapes  the  guilty  soul  affright  : 
Reason  and  conscience  sound  alarms  within, 
And  tremble  at  the  possibilities  of  sin. 

Divine  Evangel,  from  four  trumpets  blown, 
Filled  with  melodious  and  immortal  breath, 
To  all  the  world  forgiveness  making  known, 
And  free  salvation    from  eternal  death  ! 
O,  hearken  the  glad  news  it  witnesseth, 
Ye  sons  of   men,  beware  how  you  despise 
The  voice  of  your  Redeemer  speaking  from  the  skies. 


"IN  THE  BEGINNING    WAS    THE    WORD    (THE 

LOGOS),  AND  THE  WORD  WAS  WITH 

GOD,    AND    THE   WORD 

WAS  GOD." 

[John   I:    1.] 

rpHE  first  Christians,  the  unlearned  particularly,  im- 
plicitly received  and  worshipped  Christ  as  God. 
Theirs  was  the  intuitive  view,  the  faith  of  children.  But 
many  of  the  early  Christians,  Justin  Martyr  and  others, 
were  Platonists  before  they  were  Christians.  Plato  lived 
four  hundred  years  before  Christ.  Philo,  an  Alexandrian 
Jew,  contemporary  with  the  apostles,  set  the  example 
of  tracing  out  pagan  analogies — seeking  the  germs  of 
the  Greek  philosophy  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  and  find- 
ing Plato  in  Moses.  The  easy  adaptation  of  the  theo- 
sophic  speculations  of  the  one  concerning  the  Logos  or 
Divine  Reason,  to  the  inspired  disclosures  of  the  other 
concerning  Jehovah  and  the  Word  of  Jehovah  ;  with 
the  personification  of  Wisdom  met  with  in  Proverbs 
VIII.  and  elsewhere,  would  favor  minglings  leading  to 
corruptions  of  the  Divine  testimony,  and  furnish   occa- 


1 68  IN    THE    BEGINNING,    ETC. 

sion  to  the  last  of  the  Evangelists,  in  this  sublime  Pro- 
logue to  his  Gospel,  to  assert  the  true  doctrine  of  the 
Logos,  separated  from  that,  which  was  false,  introduced 
by  the  earlier  and  later  Platonizers  and  Gnostics. 

In  the  sects  that  early  sprung  up  it  is  easy  to  trace 
the  corrupting  influence  of  Judaism  and  heathen  philos- 
ophy. While  the  Efo'onites,  half  Jews,  denied,  like' our 
modern  Unitarians,  the  divinity  of  Christ ;  the  Gnostics, 
half  heathen,  denied  in  various  ways  His  humanity. 
******* 

The  Reformed  Churches,  in  making  up  their  Confes- 
sions of  Faith,  distinctly  rejected  and  condemned 
Arianism,  Ebionism,  Marcionism  (Docetic  Gnosticism), 
Sabellianism,  Apollinarianism,  Nestorianism,  Eutychian- 
ism  and  Monothelitism  or  Monophysitism  as  well  as 
the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  the  ubiquity  of  Christ's  body. 
******* 

"Whom  do  men  say  that  I,  the  Son  of  Man,  am  ?" 
To  this  question  of  our  Lord  we  have  had  in  the  Creeds, 
Confessions  and  Christologies,  variant  and  warring  of 
earlier  and  later  times,  the  manifold  answer.  "  But 
whom  do  ye,  my  disciples,  say  that  I  am  ? "  The  appeal 
is  from  the  wise  to  the  simple.  In  the  hush  of  loud 
theologies  let  experience  speak.     First  of  all  then,  and 


IN    THE    BEGINNING,    ETC.  169 

above  all,  Christ  is  to  the  believer  the  revelation  of  a 
need.  He  is  certified  as  divine,  inasmuch  as  a  Saviour 
less  than  divine  were  no  Saviour  at  all,  because  unequal 
to  the  felt  necessity  of  a  help  miraculous  and  infinite  : 
for,  in  justifying  man,  God  must  justify  Himself.  What 
miracle  so  stupendous  as  the  Divine  inconsistency  of  a 
judicial  reversal  of  a  just  sentence  !  Who  reconciles 
warring  attributes  and  self-contradictions  of  Godhead; 
terminates  the  law  without  repealing  it  ;  magnifies  it 
when  broken  by  pardon  in  lieu  of  penalty  ;  condemns 
the  sin  and  saves  the  sinner  ;  does  more  than  create — 
mirrors,  one  might  say,  the  transcendent  effulgence  of 
an  impossible  Omnipotence.  This  is  the  work  ascribed 
to  Christ  throughout  the  New  Testament.  His  divinity 
is  not  a  matter  of  texts,  but  texture.  It  forms  the  very 
warp  and  woof  of  the  whole  fabric.  That  He  does  not 
condescend  to  the  vulgar  egotism  of  a  perpetual  self- 
assertion,  befits  Him  ;  but  every  where  and  always  He 
is  seen  to  be  God  in  action — exercising  divine  preroga- 
tives ;  stilling  tempests  and  forgiving  sins  ;  healing  the 
sick  and  raising  the  dead — all  with  the  quiet  ease  and 
composed  majesty  of  One  unconscious  of  doing  any 
thing  extraordinary  :  and,  finally,  laying  down  His  life 
and  taking  it  again,  He  ascends  on  high  to  resum-e  the 


I7o  IN    THE    BEGINNING,    ETC. 

glory  which  He  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world 
was. 

One  is  tempted  to  wonder  at  the  presumption  of  men 
who,  profoundly  ignorant  of  their  own  nature,  dare  to 
dogmatize  concerning  God's  ;  and  annex  an  Athanasian 
Quicunque  vult  (Whoever  would  be  saved)  to  each  formu- 
lated affirmation  and  finding  contained  in  their  creed. 
A  doctrine  and  the  definition  of  a  doctrine  are  very 
different  things.  It  is  quite  possible,  therefore,  to  be- 
lieve in  the  doctrine  and  not  the  definition.  Any 
definition  of  an  infinite  subject  must  of  necessity  be 
incomplete.  It  can  only  include  a  part  and  not  the 
whole.  The  moment  we  begin  to  define  Godhead  our 
difficulties  begin.  What  is  hard  to  the  defining  intellect 
is  easy  to  faith. 

We   are   liable,    doubtless,  to    do   great   injustice    to 

another's  view    of    a    many-sided   truth,  by  not  seeing 

what  he  sees  at  his  angle  of  vision. 

******* 

We  are  saved  by  Faith  rather  than  a  Creed  :  because 

Faith    is  a    divine   gift ;    a  great,    vital  fact  of  human 

experience,  having  its  birth  and  beginning  in  the  pro- 

foundest  depths  of  the  renewed  heart :  whereas  a  Creed 

is  more  an  affair  of  the   intellect  ;  an   invented   symbol 


IN    THE    BEGINNING,    ETC.  171 

or  mould  of  doctrine,  into  which  are  cast — as  the  name 
"  Symbol,"  the  synonym  of  Creed,  implies — the  gathered 
result  of  the  severe  questionings  of  the  controversial 
crucible,  the  divine  gold,  as  it  passes  out  of  the  fire, 
still  debased,  alas  !  with  the  inevitable  alloy  of  human 
passion  and  speculation.  The  difference  between  truth 
in  the  intellect  and  in  the  heart  is  that  of  plants  stored 
in  a  hortus  siccus,  and  the  same,  blooming  and  breathing 
fragrance  in  the  growing  Garden  of  the  Lord. 

The  lesson  to  be  deduced  from  this  review  is  one  of 
charity.  "Judge  not  lest  ye  be  judged."  Not  but  that 
a  right  creed  is  supremely  important.  All  error  is  quick- 
sand, and  dangerous  to  build  upon.  But  humility  is  of 
the  ground  and  takes  hold  of  the  rock.  Better  were  it 
if,  discarding  pride,  men  could  be  content  to  leave  the 
mysteries  of  the  Godhead  where  Revelation  leaves  them: 
to  stop  where  it  stops.  God  is  a  unit,  but  a  unit  under- 
stood by  none.  The  Trinity  is  a  dear  and  divine  fact, 
not  explained  because  unexplainable.  It  belongs  not  to 
arithmetic.  Arithmetic  adds  and  subtracts,  but  the  In- 
finite admits  of  neither  subtraction  nor  addition.  It  is 
enough  to  know  that  "God  is  in  Christ,  reconciling  the 
world  to  Himself,  not  imputing  to  men  their  trespasses;" 
and  that  this  paradox  of  grace  has  its  deep   origin  in 


172 


THY  SERVANTS   OF    THE  PEN. 


the  Triune  paradox  of  a  God,  at  once  sole  and  social, 
happy  from  all  eternity  in  the  ineffable  endearments 
and  communings  of  a  plural  and  loving  Oneness — God 
in  God,  with  God,  from  God — sweetly  distinguished  as 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Proceeding  Spirit.  Who 
would  exchange  the  exhilarations  of  belief  in  such  a 
proclaimed  Evangel,  for  the  dreary  negations  of  doubt, 
and    the    resultant    horror  of  atheistic  despair ! 


THY   SERVANTS   OF   THE    PEN. 

~j    TIGH  thanks  to  Thee  we  owe,  O  Christ ! 

For  Thy  dear  servants  of  the  pen — 
Apostle  and   Evangelist — 

Whereby  Thou  art  made  known  to   men. 

They  tell  us  all  Thou  saidst  and  didst  ; 

And  all  Thy  glorious  goodness  show  ; 
Make  Thee  a  presence  in  our  midst, 

Acting  and  speaking  here  below. 


THE   SON  OF    THE  LAW. 

We  sit  beside  Thee  at  the  sea  ; 

We're  made  companions  of  Thy  walk  ; 
Our  hearts  within  us  burn,  while  we 

In  silence  listen  to  Thy  talk. 

We  learn  the  lesson  of  Thy  looks, 
And  are  encouraged  to  draw  near  ; 

More  than  the  lore  of  all  the  books, 
Thy  welcome  whispered  in  our  ear. 

When  Thy  sweet  lips  forgiveness  speak, 
And  we  can  claim  Thee  as  our  Friend, 

Naught  more  in  heaven  or  earth  we  seek, 
Our  wants  and  wishes  have  an  end. 


173 


THE  SON  OF  THE  LAW. 

FT  is  true  in  one  sense,  though  not  in  another,  the 
Life  given  in  the  Four  Gospels  is  incomplete.  Of 
the  events  of  Christ's  Infancy  and  Childhood  to  the  age 
of  twelve,  and  of  the  intervening  years  up  to  thirty,  all 
record  is  wanting.  As  it  was  left  it  remains.  Like 
some  matchless  torso  of  divine  art,  it  defies  addition  or 
supplement.     We  should  not  know  how  divine   was  the 


174 


THE    SON  OF    THE   LAW. 


divine  were  it  not  for  the  human.  The  Apocryphal 
Gospels,  so  called,  are  ancient  attempts  to  piece  out 
the  record  and  fill  up  gaps.  The  difference  is  infinite. 
Infidelity  admits  it.  Renan  says:  "They  can  in  no  wise 
be  put  on  the  same  footing  as  the  Canonical  Gospels  ; 
they  are  flat  and  puerile  amplifications  based  on  these, 
and  without  value."  Instead  of  a  God  we  have  a  vulgar 
magician.  Portent  is  piled  upon  portent,  marvel  upon 
marvel,  and  that  without  end.  Miracle  is  made  cheap  ; 
and  omnipotence  is  brought  into  contempt  by  the  fre- 
quency and  triviality  of  the  occasions  upon  which  it  is 
exercised.  Divorced  from  use,  made  a  child's  puppet 
and  plaything,  employed  as  an  instrument  of  boyish 
sport  or  boyish  mischief,  what  profanation  to  call  this 
the  power  of  God  ! 

We  are  naturally  shocked.  But,  it  may  be,  no  prof- 
anation was  intended.  The  low  ideal  was  in  fault. 
The  stream  cannot  rise  higher  than  its  source.  What 
is  not  in  the  mind  cannot  come  out  of  it.  As  is  the 
worker  so  is  his  work.  The  masterpiece  is  not  simply 
the  outcome  of  the  master,  but  is  the  master.  The  art 
is  the  artist.  Apollo  Belvedere,  foi  example,  is  mind  in 
marble.  It  is  the  superlative  of  him  who  created  it.  It 
was    more   than    mere    cunningness    of    hand  that  pro- 


THE    SON  OF    THE  LAW. 


175 


duced  for  the  admiration  of  after  ages  such  matchless 
symmetry,  power  and  grace.  The  hand  might  copy  but 
it  could  not  create.  The  god  has  shot  his  arrow,  and  he 
is  calmly  watching  its  flight.  There  is  the  assurance 
and  ease  of  superior  power — power  that  costs  no  effort 
and  is  never  exhausted.  Men  call  it  a  magnificent  con- 
ception, and  so  it  is.  In  sculpture  it  is  first,  and  there  is 
no  second.  Still  its  scope  is  narrow.  It  expresses  but 
one  thought.  It  is  limited  to  hinting  a  single  act.  It  is 
the  god  of  a  moment.  But  the  representing  of  that 
one  moment  worthily  has  sufficed  to  make  the  author 
immortal. 

The  sun-god  of  the  Greeks  is  not  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness. In  an  artistic  sense,  Jesus  is  more  than 
Apollo.  He  is  an  infinitely  higher  conception  — 
grander,  more  complex,  more  difficult.  Here  the  ideal 
presentment  respects  not  a  single  attribute  or  act,  but 
a  character  ;  not  a  moment,  but  a  life.  The  magnitude 
of  the  task  it  is  impossible  to  exaggerate.  No  epic 
elevation  that  was  ever  reached  approaches  "the  height 
of  this  great  argument."     Melodious  Homer  sang  : 

"Achilles'  wrath  to  Greece  the  direful    spring 
Of  woes  unnumbered." 


176  THE   SON  OF    THE   LAW. 

His  hero  was  of  the  vulgar  type,  swift  of  foot  and  large 
of  limb.  But  in  this  case  it  is  no  earthly  hero,  but 
the  unique,  the  unimagined  ;  a  being  descended  from 
another  sphere,  having  no  equal  and  no  fellow  :  stand- 
ing on  the  apex  of  two  natures — the  glory  and  perfec- 
tion of  both  ;  a  radiant  presence  in  a  dark  world, 
divine  in  every  word  and  act,  swift  to  pity  and  power- 
ful to  save.  To  increase  the  marvel,  we  have  four 
artists  instead  of  one,  each  working  apart ;  on  the 
mythical  hypothesis,  idealizing  and  fabling  apart  ; 
giving  to  "  airy  nothing  a  local  habitation  and  a 
name  :  "  or,  on  the  contrary  supposition,  that  Christ 
was  a  real  person,  catching  and  embodying  the  ethereal 
essence  of  a  divine  life  spent  on  the  earth  ;  fixing  the 
floating  image  ;  and  presenting,  not  in  vague  outline, 
but  in  complete  living  portraiture  of  form  and  feature, 
expression  and  color,  an  exact  copy  of  an  unparalleled 
original.  As  the  artists  are  four,  so  there  are  four  dis- 
tinct portraits,  which  by  some  miraculous  chance  are 
seen  to  be  but  different  aspects  of  the  same  divine  face, 
and  no  other  ;  and  all  so  powerfully  drawn,  as  to  make 
Apollos  seem  cheap  and  Iliads  poor.  How  came  it  to 
pass  ?  Was  it  original  genius  or  divine  inspiration  that 
raised  the  humble  authors  of  the  Gospels  so  high  above 


THE   SON  OF    THE  LAW.  177 

a  Phidias,  a  Homer,  or  a  Plato  ?  Each  of  these  has  been 
called  divine,  but  none  of  their  works  is  stamped  with 
a  visible  signature  of  divinity,  like  those  of  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke  and  John. 

Now  should  any  one  ask,  How  do  we  know  that  the 
Gospels  are  not  "cunningly  devised  fables,"  and  Christ 
is  not  an  invention  of  men  ?  the  answer  is  ready.  Be- 
cause, as  Rousseau  said  long  ago,  "  It  is  not  thus  that 
men  invent ;"  and,  as  the  author  of  "  Ecce  Homo"  in 
like  manner  argues,  "  The  Christ  of  the  Gospels  is  not 
mythical,  for  the  character  these  portray  is  so  peculiar 
as  to  be  altogether  beyond  the  reach  of  invention  both 
by  individual  genius,  and  still  more  by  what  is  called 
'the  consciousness  of  the  age.'"  On  the  supposition 
there  was  no  such  person,  both  agree  in  saying  the 
Gospels  were  impossible.  The  last  writer  speaks  of 
"temperance  in  the  use  of  supernatural  power  as  the 
masterpiece  of  Christ — a  moral  miracle."  And  truly  we 
know  of  nothing  which  more  strikingly  distinguishes 
the  Christ  of  the  New  Testament  from  the  Christ  of 
fable  than  this  restraining  of  His  almightiness  ;  mak- 
ing its  puttings  forth,  so  to  speak,  comparatively  rare 
and  reluctant  ;  never  wielding  it  for  display,  and  never 
for  His  own  benefit.     When  had  it  ever  entered  into  the 


178  THE    SON  OF    THE  LAW. 

heart  of  man  to  conceive  of  One  thus  clothed  with  an 
idle  omnipotence  —  possessing  all  power,  but  in  the 
spirit  of  a  divine  self-abnegation  refusing  to  use  it  in 
the  direst  extremities  ;  and,  when  hanging  in  helpless 
agony  upon  the  cross,  meekly  unmindful  of  the  taunt, 
"  He  saved  others;  Himself  He  cannot  save?"  Rous- 
seau is  right  in  saying  that  it  is  not  thus  men  invent. 
No  human  imagination  could  ever  reach  the  miraculous 
fineness  of  such  an  ideal.  All  of  the  four  Gospels  are 
full  of  divinely  delicate  touches  which  declare  their  in- 
spiration. It  is  a  proof  unimpaired  by  time.  Indeed  it 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  we  of  this  age  are  better 
qualified  to  feel  the  force  of  such  evidence  than  were 
the  first  ages.  The  diamond  is  self-evincing.  The 
question  of  when  and  where  it  was  crystallized,  who 
set  or  polished  it,  affects  not  its  genuineness.  So  the 
Gospels.  They  shine  by  their  own  light,  each  with  its 
proper  lustre.  They  differ  as  one  star  differs  from 
another  star  in  glory.  We  know  they  are  divine,  who- 
ever were  the  writers.  That  the  divine  light  should 
suffer  refraction  in  passing  through  human  media  was 
inevitable,  but  that  does  not  change  the  element  ;  and 
this    satisfactorily    accounts    for    all    variations.      The 


THE    SON  OF    THE   LAW.  179 

Evangelists,  as    somebody    remarks,    "were  not  God's 
pens  but  God's  penmen." 

Everything  the  canonical  Gospels  are,  the  apocry- 
phal Gospels  are  not.  They  are  the  antitheses  of  each 
other.  It  is  not  resemblance  but  contrast.  They  repre- 
sent the  extremes  of  divine  wisdom  and  human  silliness. 
We  need  no  Peter  to  tell  us  that  Simon  Magus,  who 
offered  money  to  buy  the  Holy  Ghost,  was  a  vulgar 
impostor  ;  and  no  Paul  to  inform  us  that  it  was  the 
garrulous  gossips  and  beldames  of  the  chimney  corner 
who  were  the  concocters  of  those  "  profane  and  old 
wives'  fables,"  which  make  up  the  substance  of  the 
apocryphal  (misnamed)  Gospels.  The  most  minute  and 
characteristic  and  longest  of  these,  the  Arabic  Gospel 
of  the  Childhood  of  Jesus  —  used  it  is  supposed  by 
Mahomet  in  the  compilation  of  the  Koran — has  not 
only  the  same  parentage  as  the  Arabian  Nights,  but 
the  prodigies  related  are  just  such  as  befit  the  Afrite 
of  the  lamp  and  the  bottle — incredible  not  because  they 
are  marvelous,  but  because  they  are  monstrous.  For 
it  is  admitted  that  strangeness  is  no  test  of  truth — truth 
is  strange,  stranger  than  fiction.  There  are  other  marks 
by  which  "Jack  the  Giant  Killer,"  the  myth  of  the 
nursery,  is  known  not  to  be  a  true  story. 


180  THE    SON  OF    THE   LAW, 

Because  there  are  myths,  however,  it  does  not  follow- 
there  is  no  history.  Strauss'  boasted  "  apparatus  for 
causing  the  miracles  of  the  evangelic  history  to  evapo- 
rate into  myths,"  "has,"  to  use  the  words  of  Renan, 
"  been  laid  aside,  and  satisfied  nobody  ;"  and  a  like  fate 
awaits,  if  it  has  not  already  overtaken,  his  own  "legend- 
ary hypothesis,"  offered  as  a  substitute.  For  these  men 
who  deny  Christ's  miracles,  cannot  well  deny  Himself, 
and  He  is  the  greatest  miracle  of  all  :  a  mighty  miracle 
apart  from  His  miracles.  If  a  creation,  who  created 
Him?  What  greater  God?  Or  is  He  an  effect  with- 
out a  cause  ?  Whence  that  influence  which  has  moulded 
the  nations  and  made  Christendom  ?  Is  it  so  that  this 
miraculous  Nile,  whose  timely  overflows  continue  to 
fertilize  the  world,  had  its  origin  in  a  miraculous  noth- 
ing ;  or,  what  would  be  still  more  miraculous,  in  some 
foul  puddle  of  imposture  not  yet  dried  up?  Whence 
Christianity  if  there  was  no  Christ  ?  But  admitting  a 
Christ,  we  must  believe  either  that  He  was  more  than 
man  or  a  deceiver.  Which  was  He,  a  charlatan  or  a 
God  ?  If  the  latter,  miracles  would  be  His  most  proper 
credentials  as  attesting  His  lordship  over  Nature  as 
well  as  under  it.  They  are  logical  and  consequent. 
Antecedent  improbabilities,   upon  which  infidelity  lays 


THE   SON  OF    THE  LAW.  x%x 

so  much  stress,  are  then  all  on  the  other  side.  An  om- 
nipotent cause  must  be  equal  to  an  omnipotent  effect. 
To  deny  this  is  to  annihilate  science. 

But  while  Christ  wrought  miracles,  He  was  no  mere 
thaumaturgist.  What  He  did  was  not  simply  wonder- 
ful— a  sorcerer's  trick  might  be  that — but  God-worthy  ; 
wholly  divine,  not  semi-diabolic.  He  cast  out  devils, 
not  by  Beelzebub  but  with  the  finger  of  God.  Scientists, 
credulous  about  many  things,  are  incredulous  in  respect 
to  the  genuineness  of  Christ's  miracles,  because  they 
were  not  there  to  see  and  test  them.  Men  in  those 
unscientific  days,  they  think,  might  very  easily  be  the 
dupes  of  appearances.  But  what  is  it  that  stamps  a 
miracle  ?  The  chief  criterion  is  its  character.  A  miracle 
immoral  or  foolish  is  a  contradiction  in  terms.  It  is  im- 
possible that  such  an  one  should  bear  the  divine  image 
and  superscription.  Coming  from  God,  it  must  be 
worthy  of  God.  It  must  have  function  and  use.  It 
must  articulate  and  move  in  harmony  with  the  hinges 
and  joints  of  a  compagination,  which  is  likewise  of  God. 
To  dislocate  it,  to  tear  it  from  its  connections,  and  view 
it  apart,  is  as  absurd  as  to  treat  the  spring  of  a  watch 
in  that  manner.  A  miracle  is  a  truth  as  well  as  a  fact ; 
and  scientists,  if  they  want  to  test  Christ's  miracles,  can 


^2  the  son  of  the  la  w. 

test  them  now  as  well  as  then.  The  miracles  are  present 
if  the  author  is  not.  There  might  be  trick  and  they  be 
not  able  to  detect  it ;  but  there  is  no  room  for  decep- 
tion in  regard  to  the  diviner  half — the  character — which 
infallibly  distinguishes  between  the  genuine  and  the 
spurious.  One  might  as  easily  confound  the  Oracular 
gems  on  the  breast-plate  of  Aaron  with  dull  bits  of 
glass  or  pebbles  by  the  road-side.  Christ  proves  His 
miracles,  and  His  miracles  prove  Him. 

To  feign  a  miracle  may  seem  easy,  but  it  is  not ;  for 
every  true  miracle  requires  a  just  setting.  The  occasion 
must  be  a  proper  one,  the  reason  sufficient,  and  the 
worker  competent  and  accredited.  A  divine  interven- 
tion is  only  justified  by  a  necessity — "Nee  Deus  intersit 
nisi  dignus  vindice  nodus  " — a  useless  miracle  were  an 
indecency  and  an  outrage.  If  the  kingdom  of  Nature 
is  to  suffer  violence,  it  must  be  a  holy  violence,  directed 
by  divine  wisdom  to  a  divine  end.  To  create  the  exi- 
gency which  would  make  a  miracle  proper  is  beyond 
the  reach  of  human  invention.  Certain  it  is,  that  all 
attempts,  ancient  and  modern,  at  miracle-making  no 
less  than  at  God-making,  have  been  profane  and  miser- 
able failures  ;  and  it  is  not  without  good  grounds  that 
we  dare  to  characterize  all  apocryphal  and  legendary 


JOHN   THE  BAPTIST.  183 

addenda  to  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament,  of 
which  we  have  any  knowledge,  as  alike  foolish  and 
blasphemous.  Falsehood  can  in  no  case  be  comple- 
mental  to  truth — the  conjunction  is  always  monstrous. 
Christ  is  complete  and  sufficient  as  He  is.  He  does 
not  stand  in  need  of  either  infidel  apology  or  infidel 
panegyric  ;  and  until  we  have  better  proof  than  we 
have  yet  had  of  infidel  ability  to  make  a  better  one,  we 
beg  leave  to  cling  to  the  old.  Strauss  is  already  obso- 
lete. Renan  is  obsolescent.  Sneering  scientists  of  to- 
day will  be  forgotten  to-morrow.  But  Jesus  lives 
forever. 


JOHN    THE    BAPTIST. 


rnH] 


[E  Prophet  of  the  Voice  !  * 
Made,  by  Jehovah's  choice, 
His  Messenger  to  go  before  His  face  ! 

*The  Rev.  William  R.  Williams,  D.  D.,  S.  T.  D.,  LL.  D.  (1804-1885),  in  his 
Lecture  on  John  the  Baptist,  aptly  designates  him  as  Prophet  of  the  Voice,  in 
contradistinction  from  Prophet  of  the  Pen.  Dr.  Williams,  on  his  last  visit  to 
Deerhurst,  brought  with  him,  for  Dr.  Coles'  examination,  a  very  rare  Latin  book, 
of  which  he  had  but  recently  become  the  owner.  This  volume  contains  upon  its 
fly-leaves  notes  and  comments  in  Dr.  Williams'  own  penmanship,  as  neatly  and 
as  carefully  executed  as  if  done  by  a  master  engraver. 


^4  JOHN    THE  BAPTIST. 

He  in  the  desert  bred, 
On  hermit's  diet  fed, 
A  coat  of  camel's  hair  his  loins  embrace. 
Hark  !  hark  !  I  hear  his  warning  cry  : 
"  Repent  !  Reform  your  lives  !  the  Reign  of  Heaven  is 
nigh." 

Full  loud  the  thunder  rolls 

O'er  conscience-smitten  souls, 
And  all  the  land  is  filled  with  solemn  fears  : 

To  him  vast  numbers  press 

Out  in  the  wilderness, 
And  he  baptizes  them,  baptized  before  in  tears  ; 
But  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  drives  hence, 
Devoid  of  these  wet  proofs  of  honest  penitence. 

None  of  the  prophets  old, 

So  lofty  or  so  bold  ! 
No  form  of  danger  shakes  his  dauntless  breast : 

In  loneliness  sublime, 

He  dares  confront  the  time, 
And  speak  the  truth,  and  give  the  world  no  rest : 
No  kingly  threat  can  cowardize  his  breath, 
He  with  majestic  step  gees  forth  to  meet  his  death. 


THE    BAPTISM.  185 

Truth  may  seem  stern  and  proud 

To  the  misjudging  crowd  ; 
But  Christ's  forerunner  loving  is  and  mild  : 

1  hear  the  tender  moan 

Of  pity  in  each  tone — 
A  father  grieving  o'er  a  wayward  child  : 
Note  too,  how  meanly  he  himself  doth  rate, 
"  Myself  am  a  low  nothing,  Christ  alone  is  great." 


THE      BAPTISM. 

A    T  the  ripe  moment,  like  the  punctual  sun 

Not  slow  nor  making  haste,  then  Jesus — One 
On  whom  the  ages  wait,  for  whom  the  spheres 
Make  willing  circuits,  after  thirty  years 
What  time  was  veiled  His  Godhead,  having  grown 
From  infancy  to  manhood  all   unknown — 
Leaving  His  home  at  Nazareth,  -journeys  on 
From  Galilee  to  Jordan  unto    John, 
To  be  baptized  of  him.        *        *        *        * 

Shrinking  with  felt  unworthiness  and  shame. 
John  spake  opposing  Him:  "I  have  no  claim 


1 86  THE    BAPTISM. 

To  this  high  honor:  I  have  need  to  be 

Of  Thee  baptized,  and  comest  Thou  to  me?" 

And  Jesus  said,  "  Now  suffer  it  for  thus 
Complete  obedience  becometh  us. 
God  sent  thee  to  baptize,  and  it  is  fit 
That  I  should  ratify  and  thou  submit. 
That  I  as  Fulfiller  should  fulfill 
Each  jot  and  tittle  of  God's  righteous  will." 

Then  yielded  he,  for  how  could    he  withstand 
The  gracious  urgency  of  that  command. 

O  Jordan  !   from  thy  crystal  source — the  crests, 
The  top,  the  springy  sides,  the  streaming  breasts 
Of  dewy  Hermon — look  !  for  thou  hast  heard 
The  wind-borne  tidings  of  that  whispered  word. 
Come  down  from  Lebanon  !  make  haste  and  come 
With  many  a  sparkling  leap  from  thy  high  home  ! 
Pure  as  the  snows  in  which  thou  hast  thy  source, 
Flow  clear,  receive  no  soil  in  all  thy  course  ! 
Steep  is  the  way  and  facile  for  thy  feet ; 
Fly  swift,  for  that  the  moments  too  are  fleet ! 
The  good  news  telling  as  thou  sweep'st  along, 
Thy  murmurous  gladness  breaking  into  song. 
With  arrowy  speed  through  wondering  Merom  dart  ! 
Let  awed  Gennesaret  its  waters  part 


THE    BAPTISM. 

For  a  straight  passage  !  not  once  looking  back 
To  see  how  rippling  smiles  pursue  thy  track. 
Since  thou  must  keep  the  channel  cleft  for  thee 
Far  down  below  the  level  of  the  sea, 
Hasten  the  more,  and  compensate  delay 
By  swifter  whirlings  on  thy  spiral  way  ! 
Nor  let  the  thousand  links  of  that  long  chain 
Thy  hurrying  feet  entangle  or  detain  ! 
Nor  the  rough  terror  of  the  deep  descent, 
Nor  the  mild  beauty  of  the  banks  prevent 
Thy  due  arrival  at  the  destined  place 
Where  John  and  Jesus  wait  a  little  space  ! 
No  moment  lose,  but  time  thy  coming,  so 
That  the  van  waters  shall  have  passed  below — 
Defiled  by  muddy  affluents  let  in, 
And  washings  of  the  leprosy  of  sin. 

O  happy  River  !  conscious  in  each  drop 
From  thy  clear  bottom  to  thy  smiling  top — 
Deep  calling  unto  deep,  as  rapids  swift 
To  foaming  cataracts  their  voice  uplift 
In  eager  proclamation,  far  to  near 
And  near  to  far,  loud  shouting,  God  is  here  ! 
Thou,  ever  reverent,  o'er  many  a  steep, 
With  kneelings  many,  and  prostrations  deep 


187 


}  THE    BAPTISM. 

Falling  and  falling,  low  and  lower  fall 
And  kiss  His  feet,  who  is  the  Lord  of  all ! 
He  is  not  here  for  cleansing,  He  is  clean  ; 
A  purity  like  His  was  never  seen. 
He  can  thee  wash,  and,  washing,  holy  make 
The  guilty,  bitter,  deep  Asphaltic  Lake. 
Breast  high  in  thee,  not  snow  is  half  so  white, 
Nor  half  so  spotless  is  the  unsullied  light  ; 
Caressing  eddies  round  and  round  Him  whirled 
In  circling  dance,  the  Wonder  of  the  world, 
He  stoops  to  thee  in  all  His  heavenly  charms  : — 
I  see  Him  sinking  in  thy  jeweled  arms, 
Lost  one  amazing  moment  to  the  sight, 
Then  rising  radiant  dripping  gems  of  light. 
And  as  He,  praying,  doth  from  thee  ascend, 
(Wonder  of  wonders  when  will  wonders  end) 
Heaven's  doors  dimensionless  wide  open  spread, 
And  more  than  Heaven  descends  upon  His  head. 
The  Holy  Ghost,  down  darting  from  above 
In  volant  shape  and  semblance  of  a  dove, 
There  rests,  expressing  peace,  and,  lo  !  is  heard 
A  voice  from  heaven  that  joins  th'  attesting  word  : 

"Thou  art  My  Son,  My  Sole  Begot,  in  Thee 
I  am  well  pleased.     Begin  Thyself  to  be  !  " 

— From  liThe  Evangel," pp.  120-141. 


"JUDGE     NOT!" 

"TTTE  have  occasion  to  admire  the  just  reserve  of 
Scripture.  Its  silence  is  sublime.  What  it  en- 
joins it  practices.  Its  language  is  "Judge  not" — 
especially  "  Judge  nothing  before  the  time."  Men  are 
excessively  prone  to  these  judicial  anachronisms — are 
noisily  and  prematurely  positive  ;  swift  where  they 
ought  to  be  slow;  forward  to  damn  or  save;  to  do  what 
an  archangel  cannot  do — unravel  all  the  intricacies  of 
human  character  and  conduct,  and  determine  the  exact 
measure  of  individual  guilt  or  innocence  in  a  given 
case.  We  can  weigh  actions  better  than  we  can  motives. 
The  hand  of  Omniscience  needs  to  hold  the  scales  when 
hearts  are  to  be  judged.  Nothing  can  be  more  foolish 
and  indecent  than  the  curiosity  which  prompts  us  to 
ask,  "  Are  there  few  that  be  saved  ?"  What  of  Jepthah  ? 
What  of  Solomon  ?  We  are  as  good  as  told,  "That  is 
none  of  your  business;  look  out  for  yourself!"  Cer- 
tainly it  is  no  mean  proof  of  the  superhuman  origin  of 
the  Bible,  that  it  contains  no  commitments  of  that  sort. 


190  JUDGE  NOT. 

It  speaks  the  truth;  it  tells  the  facts,  without  favor  or 
affection,  with  no  effort  to  palliate  or  conceal.  It  bears 
faithful  and  true  witness.  It  spares  none — not  even 
David,  the  man  after  God's  heart.  The  final  fates  of 
men  will  be  settled  at  the  Last  Judgment,  and  there 
are  no  impertinent  forestallments  of  its  decisions  and 
awards.  It  is  impossible  not  to  see  there  is  a  divine 
propriety  in  all  this. — From  "The  Evangel,'" pp.  282-284. 

While  no  man  has  the  right  to  say  that  the  virtu- 
ous heathen,  who  have  never  heard  the  Gospel,  will 
not  be  saved  ;  it  is  still  true,  that  the  Scripture  is  silent 
upon  that  point.  So  in  regard  to  the  salvation  of 
children  dying  in  infancy,  it  is  nowhere  said  in  so  many 
words  that  they  will  be  saved,  but  we  take  it  for  granted 
that  they  will  be.  "Are  there  few  that  be  saved?"  is 
another  example  of  that  inquisitiveness  which  is  unwill- 
ing to  trust  God  any  further  than  He  has  given  His 
word.  "  Will  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  ?  " 
Are  we  more  righteous  than  He,  or  more  loving?  To 
insist  upon  answers  to  questions  merely  speculative  is 
impertinent  and  unseemly.  —  From  "The  Light  of  the 
World"  p.  269. 


"THAT  ALL  MEN  SHOULD  HONOR  THE  SON, 
EVEN  AS  THEY  HONOR  THE  FATHER." 

(John  v:  19,  20,  23.) 

rFlHE  bare  statement  is  the  all-sufficient  proof  that 
the  consciousness  of  Christ's  two-fold  nature  was 
never  absent  from  Him  :  a  single  moment's  divorce 
would  have  made  that  moment  worthless  to  man's  salva- 
tion; for  it  was  the  Divine  in  conscious  association  with 
the  Human  that  gave  to  the  obedience  of  the  latter  its 
unspeakable  value.  Assuredly  that  aphorism  of  Greek 
wisdom,  "  Know  Thyself,"  was  not  unfulfilled  in  Him. 
That  He  did  not  parade  and  publish  this  knowledge  is 
no  proof  that  He  did  not  possess  it.  That  He  possessed 
it  when  He  was  twelve  years  old  is  incidentally  set 
forth  in  a  way  which  shows  that  it  was  not  something 
to  which  He  had  just  attained,  but  something  which  He 
always  had.  It  preceded  His  official  investiture.  The 
anointing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  His  baptism  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  fact  nor  the  consciousness  of  the  fact 
of  His  dual  Selfhood.     It  seems  to  us  a  strange  and 


i92  THAT  ALL   MEM  SHOULD  HONOR,    &e. 

preposterous  notion,  that  the  revelation  of  Himself  to 
Himself  needed  to  be  delayed  until  His  human  nature 
should  be  strengthened  to  bear  it  ;  and  that  it  was 
necessary  to  wait  thirty  years  for  this.  No  good  reason 
can  be  given  why  a  child's  receptivity,  and  tolerance 
too,  of  any  form  of  divine  disclosure  should  not  be 
equal  to  a  man's  :  indeed,  we  know  that  "things  hidden 
from  the  wise  and  prudent  are  revealed  unto  babes." 

We  hold  firmly,  that  Christ's  consciousness  of  the 
fact,  that  He  was  both  God  and  Man,  ran  parallel  with 
the  fact  itself,  beginning  at  the  beginning;  that  the  two 
natures  were  so  adjusted  the  one  to  the  other  as  not  to 
trench  on  each  other's  proper  freedom  and  independ- 
ence ;  that  while  they  were  not  two  wills  but  only  one 
will,  that  will,  in  things  human  was  human,  and  in 
things  divine  was  divine.  It  was  inevitable  that  there 
should  be  limitations  to  the  human,  else  it  would  not  be 
human,  but  while  these  limitations  really  existed  they 
were,  we  insist,  voluntary,  self-imposed,  capable  of 
being  set  aside  or  transcended.  That  they  never  were 
transcended  a  hair's  breadth  in  matters  pertaining  to 
the  law  of  His  subjection,  stands  to  the  glory  of  His 
free  obedience,  which  being  perfect,  "brought  in  ever- 
lasting righteousness."     And  as  this  abstention  involved 


THAT  ALL   MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &c.  I93 

a  strenuous  holding  back  of  a  present  omnipotence, 
forming  a  miracle  of  restraint  full  of  moral  sublimity, 
it  is  easy  to  see  how  immensely  the  merit  of  that  obedi- 
ence was  thereby  enhanced.  It  must  be  a  power  above 
omnipotence  that  can  keep  it  in  check,  and  that  power 
is  duty,  which  is  only  another  name  for  loyalty  to  law. 
This  doth 

"  Preserve  the  stars  from  wrong  ; 
And  the  most  ancient  Heavens  through  it  are  fresh  and  strong." 

The  grandeur  of  Christ's  miracles  was  exceeded,  if 
possible,  by  His  refusal  to  work  them.  The  glory  of 
His  power  was  excelled  by  His  weakness.  The  dear 
hands  that  healed  the  sick  and  raised  the  dead  were 
never  more  adorable  than  when  nailed  in  their  helpless- 
ness to  the  bitter  cross.  That  long  incognito,  when, 
though  conscious  of  His  divine  Sonship,  He  was  con- 
tent to  pass  as  the  son  of  Joseph  the  carpenter  ;  that 
grand  silent  waiting  and  hiding  of  His  glory,  without 
any  manifestation  of  impatience,  through  thirty  unre- 
corded years  of  poverty  and  toil,  were  as  truly  divine, 
and  hardly  less  wonderful  than  the  loud  activities  of 
the  three  official  years  that  followed,  when  the  whole 
land  rang  with  the  fame  of  His  miracles  and  His  match- 


i94 


THAT  ALL   MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &*c. 


less  words  of  grace  and  wisdom.  We  know  not  what 
unimagined  glory  may  lie  concealed  in  the  shadow  of 
the  intolerable  brightness  of  the  inaccessible  light  which 
shrouds  the  Eternal,  but  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether 
there  is  any  reflection  of  Godhead  which  surpasses  the 
splendor  of  that  condescension  which  disdained  not  to 
stoop  to  the  depths  of  man's  degradation,  to  wear  his 
form  and  garb,  to  adopt  his  stammering  speech  and 
learn  his  silly  lore.  Who  would  have  thought  that  this 
"foolishness  of  God"  should  transcend  all  His  other 
exhibitions,  of  which  the  grace  shall  form  the  theme 
for  ceaseless  celebration,  when,  "  in  super-eminence  of 
beatific  vision  "  all  the  redeemed  "  shall  clasp  insepa- 
rable hands  with  joy  and  bliss  in  overmeasure  forever  !" 
This  property  of  voluntariness  in  regard  to  all  that 
pertained  to  His  humanity  which  we  have  here  attrib- 
uted to  Christ ;  the  power  at  pleasure  of  emptying  and 
disabling  Himself;  of  subjecting  Himself  to  the  hum- 
bling restrictions,  limitations,  infirmities,  not  to  say  the 
ignorances  belonging  to  the  human  condition  ;  of  wink- 
ing out  of  sight,  if  it  be  lawful  to  use  so  strong  an 
expression  in  this  connection,  His  essential  Godhead, 
when  the  necessities  of  the  role  of  the  God-man 
demanded  that  the  man  only  should  appear ;  or  person- 


THAT  ALL   MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &c.  I95 

ating  without  mask  two  characters,  and  of  living  with- 
out metamorphosis  two  lives,  at  one  and  the  same  time — 
not  that  He  was  in  anywise  a  two-faced  Janus,  but  a 
Jesus,  having  only  one  face,  with  the  same  loving  eyes, 
now  beaming  divinity,  now  wet  with  human  tears — this 
voluntariness,  we  repeat,  this  free  play  of  the  pendulum 
of  the  will  swinging  between  the  finite  and  the  infinite, 
with  oscillations  of  such  inconceivable  sweep  and  swift- 
ness, as  to  make  it  possible  for  Him  to  be  God  and  to 
be  man,  to  be  in  heaven  and  to  be  on  earth,  in  conscious 
alternation,  a  thousand  times  in  the  thousandth  part  of 
a  second,  is  the  explanation,  we  conceive,  of  half  the 
mystery  that  perplexes  us.  And  while  we  can  never 
hope  to  untie  the  insoluble  knot,  to  clear  up  all  ambigu- 
ities and  reconcile  all  contradictions,  something  is 
gained  when  we  so  far  grasp  it  as  to  bring  it  a  little 
nearer  to  us,  and  in  some  sort  of  relation  to  things  lying 
within  our  sphere. 

The  finite,  while  it  hints,  often  helps  to  interpret  the 
infinite  ;  but  of  course,  where  there  is,  as  in  the  present 
case,  an  absolute  uniqueness — seeing  there  is  "  but  one 
God,  the  Father,  of  whom  are  all  things,  and  one  Jesus 
Christ,  by  whom  are  all  things" — comparison  must  in- 
evitably   fail    in    some    points.     This    impossibility   of 


i96  THAT  ALL   MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &*c. 

likening  tne  Creator  to  anything  created  is  the  chief 
reason,  we  suppose,  for  the  divine  interdict  against 
making  "  any  graven  image  or  likeness,"  for  the  base 
material  counterfeit  narrowing  and  degrading  the  idea 
of  the  infinite  Original  usurps  its  place  in  the  mind  and 
terminates  the  worship  ;  and  the  same  consideration  is 
fitted  doubtless  to  restrain  the  representations  of  a  too 
rampant  and  irreverent  rhetoric.  The  necessities  of 
language  may  require  us  to  speak  as  if  there  were  two 
when  there  is  only  one;  and  this  constitutes  the  apology 
for  the  use  of  such  terms  as  the  Trinity,  defined  as 
"  three  persons  in  one  God,"  but  there  is  unquestion- 
ably an  attendant  peril  which  should  put  us  upon  our 
guard. 

There  is  no  reason,  however,  why  we  should  stumble 
at  multiplicity  in  unity,  when  we  have  so  much  that 
answers  to  it  in  ourselves.  Our  one  life  we  have  already 
seen  is  three  lives  ;  and  we  are  in  the  familiar  use  of 
power  not  unlike  that  unspeakable  voluntariness  and 
versatility  we  have  described.  Standing  in  the  blaze  of 
noon,  we  took  out  on  the  divineness  of  earth  and  the 
infiniteness  of  heaven  bathed  in  glorious  sunlight,  and, 
literally  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  by  a  simple  act  of 
the  will  which  can  be  repeated  many  times  in  a  minute, 


THAT  ALL    MEN   SHOULD   HONOR,    drY.  197 

we  are  able  to  thrust  it  away  and  hide  ourselves  from  it 
in  the  blackness  of  midnight  darkness,  and  then  restore 
ourselves  to  it — in  a  moment  to  put  off  this  garment  of 
light,  and  as  quickly  put  it  on.  And  there  is  not  an 
hour  of  our  lives  that  we  do  not  illustrate  in  some  way 
the  mysterious  parallelism  of  a  double  consciousness  ; 
two  lines  of  thought  running  side  by  side,  two  sets  of 
simultaneous  and  non-interfering  volitions. 

An  immense  amount  of  dialectical  skill  has  been 
wasted  in  the  discussion  of  the  question,  whether  Christ, 
in  the  language  of  the  schoolmen,  "  was  not  able  to 
sin" — jwn  potest  peccare,  or  "  able  not  to  sin" — potest  non 
peccare.  Assuming  that  He  was  both  God  and  Man,  we 
are  not  obliged  to  balance  between  the  two  propositions, 
but  accept  both  as  true.  As  God,  the  impossibility 
would  be  of  the  first  kind  ;  as  Man,  of  the  second,  for 
if  as  man  there  were  not  an  abstract  possibility  of  sin- 
ning, it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  there  could  be 
moral  freedom,  or  reality  in  temptation.  Doubtless  the 
libertas  was  likewise  a  beata  necessitas  boni — "liberty" 
being  only  another  name  for  "necessity,"  in  the  case  of 
One  "  who  was  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate 
from  sinners  ;"  and  who  stood  alone  among  all  the  sons 


198  THAT  ALL   MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &*c. 

of  Adam  in  being  able  to  say,   "The  Prince  of  this  world 
cometh  and  hath  nothing  in  Me."     John  xiv:  30. 

But  if  there  is  difference  of  opinion  in  regard   to  His 
ability  to  sin,  there  is  none  in  regard  to   His   ability  to 
suffer.     "  He  was  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with 
grief."     "  He  bare  our  griefs  and   carried  our  sorrows," 
as  well  as   His  own.     "The  chastisement  of  our  peace 
was  upon  Him,  and  with  His  stripes  we  are  healed."     It 
is  said   in  immediate  connection   with   His   miracles  of 
healing,    "  He    bare   our    sicknesses."      Does    vicarious 
bearing  mean  potential  transference  ?     Are  we  to  under- 
stand that  their  manifold  malignity  passed  over  to  Him  ; 
that  for  every   pang  He  relieved    He  suffered   a  pang  ? 
We  read,  Luke  vi:   19,  "And  the  whole  multitude  sought 
to  touch   Him  ;  for  there  went  virtue  out  of  Him,  and 
He  healed  them  all."    It  was  thus  that  a  certain  woman, 
who  had   an  issue  of  blood   twelve   years,  was  healed 
of  that  plague.     Was  the  "  virtue  "  a  part  of   His  life? 
Were  addition  and  advantage  to  the  healed,  subtraction 
and  loss  to  the  Healer?     At  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  we 
are  told,  Jesus  "groaned  in  the  spirit  and  was  troubled," 
and  "Jesus  wept."     It  surely  was   no   common  anguish 
that  exhorted  groans  and  tears  from   the  patient  Son  of 
God.     Was  it  in  testimony  of  the  inexorableness  of  law, 


THAT  ALL  MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &>c.  199 

refusing  to  restore,  without  equivalent,  what  it  had 
taken  away  ?  In  raising  the  dead  to  life,  did  the  sor- 
rows of  death  compass  Him,  and  the  pains  of  hell  get 
hold  of  Him?  If  so,  how  it  magnifies  the  grace  !  how 
it  exalts  the  compassion  !  how  it  swells  the  debt  ! 

Jesus  had  not  been  human  if  pain  were  not  hateful 
to  Him;  and  there  are  no  pains  like  the  pains  of  hunger. 
The  impatient  appetite  resents  delay.  The  hungry 
stomach  and  the  hungry  blood  send  up  agonizing  cries 
for  help.  If  help  does  not  come  speedily,  the  angry 
organs  rise  in  fierce  revolt,  and  all  is  clamor  and  uproar. 
There  is  nothing  wrong  in  all  this  ;  for  these  instincts 
are  of  God.  Their  rage  is  innocent.  It  is  their  duty  to 
warn.  Silence  is  betrayal.  It  is  no  impeachment  of 
Christ's  sinlessness  that  He  hungered  ;  and  that  the 
blameless  organs  in  their  blind  zeal,  fearing  for  the  im- 
periled life,  and  singly  intent  upon  quick  relief  from  the 
intolerable  anguish,  took  sides  for  the  time  with  the 
Tempter,  and  maintained  ceaseless  wrestle  with  the 
sternness  of  the  denial  of  the  higher  life.  The  desire 
for  bread  was  guiltless,  and  under  other  circumstances 
its  gratification  had  been  lawful,  nay,  a  duty.  But  not 
then.     Why  ? 


200  THAT  ALL   MEN   SHOULD  HONOR,    &=c. 

Jesus  saw  why.  It  is  true,  the  reason  was  not  coarsely- 
evident.  It  may  have  required  fineness  of  vision  to 
perceive  it.  But  His  eye  was  single  and  His  body  full 
of  light.  Weighing  all  acts  in  scales  of  infinite  delicacy, 
an  inclination  of  the  beam  so  faint  as  to  defy  arithmetic 
to  express  it,  was  instantly  discerned  and  sufficed  for 
conduct.  Not  a  spot  must  stain  His  absolute  whiteness. 
So  high  was  the  requirement,  that  even  the  imperceptible 
tremble  of  the  jarred  earth,  caused  by  the  tread  of  a 
passing  foot,  must  not  be  allowed  to  disturb  the  perfect 
poise  of  His  human  innocence.  We  know  that  two 
lines,  separated  here  by  the  diameter  of  the  earth's  orbit,, 
long  before  they  reach  the  nearest  of  the  fixed  stars, 
blend  and  become  as  one  ;  and  so,  a  deviation  from 
rectitude  so  slight  that  to  the  blurred  vision  of  sinful 
eyes  there  may  seem  to  be  none  at  all,  would,  running 
through  eternity,  become  an  infinite  divergence. 

Nothing  can  be  more  vulgar  than  to  suppose  that  the 
power  of  temptation  is  in  proportion  to  bigness — that  to 
make  a  big  temptation  there  must  be  a  big  object.  To 
natures  cold,  calculating  and  already  depraved,  and  that 
merely  count  the  cost  of  the  risks  to  be  run,  this  may 
be  so  ;  but  to  the  pure,  and  even  to  men   of  moderate 


THAT  ALL  MEN  SHOULD  HONOR,    &c.  201 

virtue,  it  is  just  the  reverse.  The  danger  is  in  minute- 
ness. What  trips  the  good  man  is  the  trivial  and  unseen. 
It  is  the  pebble  that  lies  buried  in  the  foot-path,  over 
which  he  stumbles  and  falls,  not  great  rocks  and  preci- 
pices. The  snare  is  laid  for  him  in  the  ground  and  the 
trap  is  covered.  "The  snare  of  the  Devil  "  is  concealed, 
otherwise  it  were  no  snare.  "  Surely  in  vain  the  net  is 
spread  in  the  sight  of  any  bird."  The  infection  of 
which  men  sicken  and  die  is  borne  on  "heaven's 
sweetest  air."         *         *         * 

Satan  always  adapts  his  temptation.  He  knows  his 
man,  his  strength  and  his  weakness;  his  times  and  his 
seasons;  all  the  avenues  of  approach — viri  molles  aditus 
et  tempor.a — and  fails  not  to  take  advantage  of  any 
momentary  softness  of  the  yielding  heart.  He  throws 
open  doors  of  opportunity.  If  there  is  a  spark  he  fans 
it.  If  there  is  a  desire  he  feeds  it.  If  there  is  a  bias  he 
fools  the  bent.  He  triumphs  in  a  slip  as  much  as  in  a 
fall.         *         *         * 


E  P I T  H  A  L  A  M  I  U  M . 

"TTTE  in  life's  journey  blindly  run, 

We  brave  the  dark  of  what  's  to  be  ; 
But  cannot  tell,  what  we  shall  see 
Or  suffer  by  to-morrow's  sun. 

Lifting  our  eyes,  we  catch  a  glance 
Of  some  fair  face  unseen  before, 
It  may  be  through  an  open  door 

Which  straight  is  shut.     We  call  it  chance. 

But  yet  that  casual  look,  so  brief, 
May  be  decisive  of  our  fate  : 
The  soul,  discerning  there  its  mate. 

Claims  fellowship  of  joy  and  grief. 

Soon  marriage  bells  swing  to  and  fro, 
And,  with  alternate  stroke,  repeat 
Mine,  thine,  in  iteration  sweet, 

To  make  of  twain  one  life  below. 


EPI THA  LA  MI  UM. 

Hail  !  happy  pair  !  by  welding  flame 

Of  love  made  one,  a  dual  soul, 

A  richer  self,  a  dearer  whole, 
In  spirit  one,  and  one  in  name. 

No  knife  so  keen  as  can  divide 

Your  new-born  selfhood,  or  restore 
Each  soul  to  what  it  was,  before 

You  were  a  bridegroom  and  a  bride. 

But  keener  than  the  tempered  blade 

Are  thoughtless  words ;  they  cut  and  pierce, 
And  waken  agonies  more  fierce 

Than  wounds  by  mortal  weapons  made. 

Beware  of  these  !  abhor  as  hell, 
All  strife  and  schism,  making  two, 
Cutting  your  vital  oneness  through  ! 

Divided  halves  could  live  as  well. 

Pursue  content  in  pleasant  ways  ! 
And  suck  the  nectar  of  the  hours, 
As  bees  extract  the  sweets  of  flowers, 

And  hive  the  honey  of  the  days  ! 


203 


204 


THE    MARRIAGE    IN    CAN  A. 

And  would  you  not  Heaven's  blessing  lose,. 
Let  prayer  each  morning  duly  rise, 
Like  exhalations  toward  the  skies 

To  fall  at  night  in  friendly  dews  ! 

Bend  meekly  to  affliction's  rod  ! 

Be  sure  the  strokes  are  kindly  meant ! 

Together  climb  the  steep  ascent 
And  hand  in  hand  mount  up  to  God  ! 


o 


THE    MARRIAGE    IN    CANA. 

N  the  third  day,  arrived  in  Galilee, 
Jesus  refused  not  offered  courtesy 
To  Him  and  His  disciples,  to  attend 
The  nuptials  of  a  kinsman  or  a  friend, 
In  Cana,  Nazareth  not  far.     How  fit 
That  He  who  marriage  gave  should  sanction  it ! 

*  V  %  *  *  * 

Who  feeds  the  ravens  when  their  food  is  scant,. 

Is  not  indifferent  to  any  want : 

They  wanting  wine,  and  wanting  means  to  buy, 


THE    MA  RRIA  GE-  IN  CA  NA . 

Would  Christ  by  miracle  the  want  supply  ? 

Though  chiding,  at  the  first,  the  bold  request, 

He,  afterward,  His  willingness  expressed 

By  sign  or  word.     The  means,  the  manner  hidden, 

The  mother  bade  the  servants  do  as  bidden. 

There  standing  were  six  water-pots  of  stone, 

With  room  for  many  gallons  in  each  one ; 

And  Jesus  said  to  those  attending  Him  : 

"  Fill  up  each  one  with  water  to  the  brim  ! 

Draw  now,  and  to  the  governor  convey  !  " 

And  they  astonished  hastened  to  obey. 


And  when  the  ruler  tasted  it,  amazed 
He  called  the  bridegroom,  and  the  vintage  praised  ; 
Saying, 

"All  use  and  wont  thou  dost  reverse, 
Keeping  the  good  'till  last,  and  not  the  worse. 
Whence  this  delicious  nectar,  heavenly  wine? 
What  suns  matured  it ;  and  where  grew  the  vine  ? 
Not  grapes  of  Eschol  hold  so  rich  a  blood, 
Which  cheers,  but  not  inebriates,  like  food  ?" 

Our  great  Exemplar  sat  a  genial  guest, 
Eating  and  drinking  even  as  the  rest ; 


205 


206  THE    MARRIAGE    IN    CAN  A. 

Unbound  by  vows  which,  proper  in  their  place, 
Did  not  express  the  freedom  of  the  race. 
Wisdom  is  justified.     He  did  not  say, 
This  thing  you  may  not  eat,  and  that  you  may; 
Wine  is  forbidden,  you  shall  not  drink  wine  ! 
For  that  would  prove  Him  other  than  divine; 
Since,  that  which  formed  the  essence  of  the  bane, 
All  juices  that  ferment  alike  contain. 
What  profit  then,  to  shut  and  bar  one  door, 
And  leave  wide  open  twice  ten  thousand  more  ? 
The  secret  poison,  wheresoever  hid, 
Must  be  sought  out,  provided  'tis  forbid  : 
And  man  would  starve  and  die  of  very  thirst, 
If  he  must  analyze  all  nature  first. 

Conscience  at  ease  on  lawfulness  of  use, 
In  view  of  all  the  evils  of  abuse, 
Asking  its  duty,  may  receive  reply, 
Thundered  from  every  quarter  of  the  sky, 
If  eating  meat,  or  drinking  wine  offend, 
Eat  not  forever !  drink  not  to  the  end  ! 
What  though  no  law  expressly  doth  ordain  : 
'Tis  noble,  God-like,  Christ-like,  to  abstain. 


THE   MARRIAGE    IN    CAN  A. 

Love  is  that  law  all  other  laws  above, 

And  nothing  's  so  imperative  as  love  : 

All  comprehending,  like  the  arms  of  space, 

In  love's  wide  heaven  no  duty  but  finds  place  : 

Love  oversweeps  the  whole,  and  not  a  part — 

No  law  so  broad  as  is  the  Christian's  heart. 

To  legislate  each  duty,  were  to  count 
Drops  of  a  stream  that  issue  from  one  fount. 
God  gives,  since  all  effects  are  in  their  cause, 
For  narrow  prescripts  universal  laws. 
Jesus  drank  wine  and  made  it  :  that  is  clear  : 
Let  all  admit  it  freely  without  fear  : 
Wine  of  the  cluster  pressed  into  the  cup, 
The  wine  of  nature  :  yielding  so  much  up, 
'T  were  slander,  and  not  candor,  to  do  more  : 
'T  were  vile  to  say  of  Him  whom  we  adore, 
He  first  Himself  some  heady  liquor  sips, 
Then  holds  the  poison  to  His  neighbor's  lips  ; 
Dispensing  bowls,  foul  outside  and  within, 
With  wrath,  uncleanness,  drunkenness,  and  sin. 

Since  wine  's  not  one,  but  many — one  in  name, 
Many  in  kind  ;  the  same  and  not  the  same  ; 


207 


2o8  THE    MARRIAGE    IN   CANA. 

Of  hurtful  strength  in  various  degree — 

There  's  room  at  least  for  common  charity. 

Void  of  effects,  and  safe,  He  would  not  seek 

The  unapparent  bane  minute  and  weak  ; 

But  though  no  pharisee  to  strain  each  gnat, 

What  makes  the  feet  to  err,  He  drank  not  that. 

Of  this  be  sure  :  though  learning  should  essay 

To  trip  your  faith,  be  confident  alway, 

No  devil  leered  above  the  wine-cup's  brim  ; 

No  mocker  mocked  from  depths  reflecting  Him. 

He  would  not,  never  did,  and  could  not  do, 

What  were  unworthy  sinful  me  and  you — 

To  men  that  had  well  drunk,  present  and  press 

Enticements  and  temptations  to  excess. 

Did  other  proof  in  contradiction  fail, 

His  character,  unaided,  should  avail 

To  give  assurance,  stablish  and  define, 

The  wine  He  made  was  unfermented  wine. 

Tell  if  you  can,  unless  it  had  been  such, 

Why  it  was  requisite  to  make  so  much  ? 

Abundance  argues  innocence,  since  He 

Would  not  supply  the  means  of  revelry, 

Just  when  the  thirst  was  kindled  ;  slope  the  way, 

And  snare  their  feet  He  taught  to  watch  and  pray. 


THE    MARRIAGE   IN    CAN  A.  209 

Distrust  appearances  !     Be  sure  they  lie 
If  they  eternal  verities  deny. 
Christ's  character  is  sure.     Be  not  beguiled  ! 
He  who  is  holy,  harmless,  undefiled, 
Could  do  no  wrong,  nor  yet  what  tends  to  wrong  ; 
Is  mindful  of  the  weak  and  of  the  strong; 
Leads  none  into  temptation.     Never  fear 
But  what  the  cause  of  temperance  is  dear 
To  Him,  who  needs  not  any  should  Him  tell, 
What  is  the  shortest,  surest  road  to  hell. 
Prove  that  a  thing  is  hurtful  on  the  whole, 
Is  dangerous  to  the  body  and  the  soul, 
And  you  may  swear  that  thing  is  not  for  you  ; 
That  Christ  condemns  it,  and  forbids  it  too. 

Wine  is  a  mocker,  therefore  drink  not  wine  ! 
It  is  a  Christ-like  reason  and  divine. 
All  Christ's  commands  invariably  rest 
On  what  is  reasonable  and  right  and  best. 
The  best  is  still  commanded  :  find  that  out 
And  you  may  follow  it  without  a  doubt. 
If  it  be  best  to  drink,  if  safe  and  wise, 
Then,  drink  !  ye  have  permission  of  the  Skies. 
But  if  it  be,  as  all  experience  shows, 


2IO  THE    MARRIAGE   IN    CAN  A. 

Not  best,  not  safe,  not  wise,  since  countless  woes 
Proceed  therefrom  in  a  perpetual  stream, 
Drink  not  !  it  is  forbid  by  the  Supreme. 

If  there  is  wine  which  tends  to  no  excess, 
Then  prohibition  would  be  meaningless  ; 
And  such  there  is.     Learned  Rabbis  say,  the  Jews, 
At  marriage  festivals,  did  never  use 
Fermented*  wine.     Of  leaven,  every  shred 
They  from  the  Feast  of  the  Unleavened  Bread 
Cast  out.     And  at  the  Supper  of  the  Lord, 


*  One  thing  is  certain,  Christ  did  not  make  fermented  wine,  not  even  if  He 
made  alcoholic  wine,  for  there  was  no  time  for  fermentation.  The  alcohol,  if  pres- 
ent, must  have  been  there  by  a  direct  creation,  in  which  case  it  maybe  safely 
questioned,  whether  in  any  true  sense  it  was  wine  at  all — that  is,  grape  wine — any 
more  than  those  factitious  compounds,  by  courtesy  called  wine,  but  which  are  not 
wine,  where  the  laboratory  is  the  vineyard.  There  are  those,  who  under  the  mis- 
taken idea  that  wine  to  be  genuine  must  be  the  alcoholic  article,  contend  for  the 
genuine,  and  yet  have  no  difficulty  in  using  infamous  shams,  which  do  not  con- 
tain, and  never  did,  a  single  drop  of  grape  juice. 

Thus  far  we  have  limited  ourselves  to  asserting  that  Christ  did  not  make  in- 
toxicating wine;  whether  He  ever  drank  it,  is  another  question.  Here,  too,  His 
character  is  everything — far  more  than  doubtful  philology.  Anything  He  drank 
must,  we  know,  have  been  a  safe  and  unhurtful  beverage,  wherein  there  was  no 
"excess."  For  it  were,  as  we  have  said,  a  crime  to  attribute  to  Christ  conduct 
which  necessitates  defense  or  apology.  We  are  not  permitted  to  suppose  that  the 
Saviour  from  sin  was  an  example  of  sin;  that  He  who  taught  self-denial,  practiced 
self-indulgence.  Rather  must  we  believe,  that  every  meal  He  ate  was  a  lesson  of 
temperance,  that  in  no  case  did  He  go  beyond  the  satisfaction  of  absolute 
needs.    *    *    *    * 

Although  no  wine  of  any  kind  entered  into  the  Paschal  Supper  originally,  and 


THE    MARRIAGE  IN    CAN  A. 

Fruit  of  the  vine  expressly  crowned  the  board. 
As  on  these  two  occasions,  chief  and  prime, 
According  to  the  custom  of  the  time, 
Christ  only  drank  the  unfermented  juice 
Of  the  pressed  grape,  we  know  no  other  use. 

Thou  who,  blest  Alchemist,  canst  bind  and  loose 
The  elements  ;  and  under  Thee  reduce 
All  parts  and  powers  and  properties  of  things  ; 
Whose  word  is  swifter  than  the  swiftest  wings, 
Piercing  the  depths,  where  all  the  forces  lurk 
Of  secret  nature,  powerfully  to  work 


was  added  afterward,  it  would  manifestly  have  been  a  making  void  and  stultifica- 
tion of  the  whole  ordinance  to  have  joined  to  unfermented  bread  fermented  wine. 
In  one  point  of  view,  at  least,  the  appetite  for  alcoholic  stimulants  is  of  the 
nature  of  a  physical  depravity,  rather  than  moral.  It  is  not  so  much  a  mental 
bias  to  evil,  as  a  perversion  of  vital  sensibilities — a  disease  superinduced  by  the 
violation  of  physiological  laws.  Argument  and  motive  are,  therefore,  of  little 
avail.  *  *  *  The  first  step  in  an  attempted  reformation,  therefore,  must  be  the 
removal  of  the  appetite,  and  nothing  will  do  this  but  an  entire  abstinence  from  its 
provocatives  and  inducing  causes.  *  *  *  The  fact  that  alcohol  serves  no  useful 
purpose  in  the  animal  economy  takes  away  all  excuse  from  those  who  drink. 
They  drink  without  need.     It  is  uncalled-for  hazard  and  gratuitous  harm. 

In  England,  not  long  ago,  upward  of  two  thousand  physicians  and  surgeons, 
including  such  menfas  Sir  Benjamin  Brodie,  Sir  James  Clarke,  Dr.  Ferguson,  Dr. 
Forbes,  Dr.  Marshall  Hall,  Aston  Key,  Dr.  Latham,  Dr.  Andrew  Combe,  etc., 
united  in  declaring,  "That  in  their  opinion,  the  most  perfect  health  is  compatible 
with  total  abstinence  from  all  intoxicating  beverages,  whether  in  the  form  of 
ardent  spirits,  or  as  wine,  beer,  ale,  porter,  cider,  etc.;"  and  "that  total  and  uni- 
versal abstinence  from  alcoholic  drinks  of  all  sorts  would  greatly  contribute  to 
the  health,  the  prosperity,  the  morality  and  happiness  of  the  human  race." 
xiv 


2 12  WINE  AND   NEW    WINE. 

Miraculous  transformations,  which  are  not 

By  ordinary  processes  begot, 

But  by  immediate  act  of  Power  Divine, 

Effecting  change  of  water  into  wine — 

Canst,  yea  and  dost,  in  every  time  and  place, 

Accomplish  greater  miracles  of  grace  ; 

Among  the  springs  of  thought  and  feeling  move, 

Changing  inveterate  enmity  to  love. 


WINE  AND    NEW  WINE. 

Matt,   ix,    17;    Mark  ii,    22;    Luke   v,   37. 

]"N  practical  matters  the  peasant  is  often  wiser  than 
the  philosopher.  Dr.  Johnson,  in  the  Preface  to 
his  Dictionary,  wisely  remarks  :  "  I  am  not  so  lost  in 
Lexicography  as  to  forget  that  words  are  the  daughters 
of  earth,  and  that  things  are  the  sons  of  heaven." 
The  celebrated  Doctor  on  one  occasion  was  found  trip- 
ping in  regard  to  the  meaning  of  some  word.  When 
asked  the  cause  of  his  stumbling,  he  replied,  "Ignor- 
ance,   Sir!" — ignorance  of    the  thing  defined. 


WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 


213 


"Things,"  as  best  befits  their  celestial  origin,  come 
first;  "  Words,"  afterwards.  It  must  always  have  been 
so.  First  the  thing,  then  the  name.  In  the  present  case 
we  have  to  do  with  Three  Things  :  Grapes,  Grape  juice 
before  fermentation,  and  Grape  juice  after  fermentation. 
The  second  could  not  be  without  the  first  nor  the  third 
without  the  second.  The  two  first  must  have  existed 
from  the  beginning.  They  were  and  are  as  God  made 
them,  living  and  life-giving,  nutritive  and  restorative, 
divinely  characterized  together  as  "the  new  wine  found 
in  the  cluster,"  of  which  it  is  said,  "Destroy  it  not,  for 
a  blessing  is  in  it."  The  third  comes  last.  It  is  found 
nowhere  in  nature.*  It  is  man-made,  and  stands  a  malig- 
nant metamorphosis  of  the  second.  Its  invention  is 
attributed  to  Bacchus  in  his  early  youth,  who,  according 
to  the  apt  allegory  given  by  Bacon,  "  rode  in  a  chariot 
drawn  by  tigers,  around  which  danced  deformed  demons 
— the  Muses  in  his  train."  Unlike  the  other  two,  it  is  a 
thing  of  evil.  It  is  not  a  food,  but  a  poison.  Instead  of 
being  a  blessing  to  mankind,  it  is,  and  always  has  been, 
a  curse.  What  is  true  of  it  now,  was  true  of  it  three 
thousand  years  ago.     The  laws  of  nature  do  not  change. 

♦Alcohol  is  the  result  of  decomposition,   or  fermentation,  which  is  another 
name  for  decomposition. 


214  WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 

While  it  does  not  much  matter  whether  unfermented 
grape  juice  or  fermented  grape  juice  was  first  called 
Wine,  it  would  really  seem  most  natural  that  what  was 
first  in  .  the  order  of  time  and  nearest  the  parent  vine, 
should  take  precedence.  If  Wine  was  not  its  original 
name,  it  devolves  upon  those  who  deny  it  to  tell  us  what 
it  was  called  prior  to  the  Bacchanalian  epoch.  It  were 
absurd  to  suppose  that  a  thing  of  which  the  world  was 
full  existed  without  a  name.  If  the  name,  wine,  was 
extended  afterwards  to  the  artificial  product  and  this 
has  been  allowed  down  to  our  own  time  to  usurp  the 
rightful  honor  of  the  vinous  original,  it  were  easy  to 
find  a  parallel.  Lucifer,  fallen  and  accursed,  still  retains 
the  name  by  which  he  was  known  in  heaven. 

Must,  as  defined  in  all  the  dictionaries,  is  "  new  wine." 
Beyond  all  question  oinos  neos  in  Greek,  answers  to 
vinum  mustum  in  Latin,  and  new  wine  in  English,  and  all 
refer  to  the  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape.  In  Luther's 
translation,  wherever  oinos  neos  occurs  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, it  is  invariably  rendered  must.  Must  is  from  the 
Latin  mustus,  new,  fresh,  with  vinum  understood,  and 
the  Imperial  Dictionary  defines  it  to  be  "  new  wine,  wine 
pressed  from  the  grape,  but  not  fermented."  In  similar 
terms  it  is  defined  in   all    the  languages  of  Europe.     To 


WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 


215 


say  that  new  wine  is  not  wine  is  as  absurd  as  to  say  that 
a  new  bottle  is  not  a  bottle.  A  thing  is  known  by  what 
it  is  called.  It  is  mere  trifling  to  say  that  what  has  the 
perpetual  sanction  of  the  highest  literary  and  scientific 
authorities  is  unwarranted  and  incorrect.  It  is  true  that 
it  is  not  wine  in  the  sense  of  fermented  wine,  but  it  is 
called  wine  nevertheless  ;  and  my  purpose  is  to  produce 
undoubted  examples  from  the  New  Testament  of  oinos 
being  used  in  the  place  and  in  the  sense  of  oinos  neos,  i.  e., 
must* 

In  Matt,  ix,  17,  we  read  :  "  Neither  do  men  put  new 
wine  {oinon  neon)  into  old  bottles,  else  the  bottles  ("old" 
omitted)  break,  and  the  wine  {oinos,  alone,  with  neos 
omitted)  runneth  out."  In  the  parallel  passage  in 
Mark  ii,  22,  there  are  the  same  omissions  in  the  second 
clause  of  the  verse.     In  Luke,  it  is  "new  wine  "  in  both 


*  The  late  Rev.  A.  A.  Hodge,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  editors  of  the  "  Presbyterian 
Review,"  from  his  critical  outlook,  after  a  careful  survey  of  the  whole  field,  de- 
clares that  all  points  in  dispute  have  their  final  answer  in  the  settlement  of  the 
one  question:  "  Does  'Wine'  standing  alone,  mean,  as  is  claimed,  only  and  always 
the  juice  of  the  grape  fermented,  and  never  the  juice  of  the  grape  unfermented  ; 
and  was  the  same  made  and  drunk  by  Christ  and  used  by  Him  as  one  of  the  ele- 
ments of  the  Last  Supper  ?  "  The  case  is  carefully  made  up  and  fairly  put.  The 
pivot  evidently  on  which  everything  turns  are  the  words  "only  and  always"  so 
that  if  it  can  be  shown  in  a  single  instance  that  the  word  "wine"  uncoupled  with 
"new"  is  clearly  used  anywhere  in  the  Bible  in  the  sense  of  "  New  Wine"  or 
Must,  the  learning  which  denies  it  goes  for  nothing,  and  the  whole  argument 
based  on  that  erroneous  assumption  falls  to  the  ground. 


216  WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 

places,  thus  confirming  the  identity  of  the  two.  If 
oinos  neos  here  means,  as  is  admitted  it  does,  must,  then 
oinos  inevitably  means  must  likewise,  seeing  the  two  in- 
disputably refer  to  one  and  the  same  thing.  When  neos 
(new)  was  no  longer  needed  for  definition  it  was  dropped, 
and  only  the  general  or  generic  term,  "Wine,"  was  re- 
tained. It  was  in  obedience  to  the  same  law  of  language 
that  the  defining  adjectives  "old"  and  "  new,"  applied 
to  bottles,  were  dropped  after  they  had  served  their  pur- 
pose. One  only  needs  to  omit  the  specific  and  defining 
words  to  see  how  pointless  and  meaningless  all  then 
becomes:  Neither  do  men  put  wine  into  bottles  ;  else  the 
bottles  break,  and  the  wine  runneth  out.  But  they  put 
wine  into  bottles  and  both  are  preserved. 

What  now  is  wanting  to  the  completeness  and  abso- 
luteness of  the  proof?  Here  we  have  the  Holy  Ghost 
for  a  witness,  and  a  divine  example  of  usus  loquendi, 
clearly  showing  that  oinos  is  properly  used  to  denote  the 
unfermented  grape  juice  without  the  qualifying  epithet 
neos  as  well  as  with  it.  The  proof  is  certain,  contempo- 
raneous, positive,  inspired  and  infallible;  not  to  be  gain- 
said or  questioned,  repeated  by  two  Evangelists,  and 
fortified  by  a  third — proof  drawn  directly  from  the  Holy 
Gospels  themselves  and  Christ's  own  words.     We  might 


WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 


217 


properly  stop  here  without  adding  a  single  word.  The 
proof  adduced  is  of  the  simplest  kind,  needing  for  its 
full  appreciation  no  learning  beyond  the  ability  to  spell, 
yet  so  conclusive  that  I  cannot  doubt  but  it  would 
be  accepted  as  such  by  any  Court  in  Christendom.  I,  for 
my  own  part,  would  not  ask  to  have  the  title  to  my  own 
house  and  grounds  supported  by  stronger  proof. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  that  familiar 
principle  which  governs  speech  in  the  use  of  generic 
and  specific  terms  of  which  here  we  have  an  excellent 
example.  New  wine  is  expressly  named,  because  the 
similitude  pointed  at  is  based  on  properties  which  are 
peculiar  to  uiifermented  wine.  There  are  three  necessary 
factors  in  the  case  :  First,  A  fermentable  liquor  (which 
excludes,  of  course,  any  liquor  that  has  undergone  fer- 
mentation already)  ;  Second,  The  possible  presence  of  a 
ferment  liable  to  be  found  in  old  bottles  (i.  e.,  bottles 
previously  used),  whether  made  of  skins  or  glass  or 
earthenware,  for  this,  by  exciting  fermentation  in  a  fer- 
mentable liquor,  would  inevitably  give  rise  to  the  libera- 
tion of  a  large  quantity  of  gas,  which,  if  confined,  would 
operate  with  rending  and  destructive  violence  ;  Third, 
The  closure  of  the  bottle,  for  unless  closed  thegas  would 
escape  as  soon  as  generated  and  cause  no  damage.     But 


2i8  WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 

as  the  whole  procedure  avowedly  looked  to  theprevention 
of  fermentation,  and  thereby  the  preservation  of  the 
liquor  in  its  unfermented  state,  the  strict  closure  of  the 
bottle,  so  as  to  effectually  exclude  the  atmospheric  air, 
formed  a  necessary  part  of  it.  Such  was  the  Jewish 
method  employed  for  preserving  must  from  one  vintage 
to  another,  which  differs  in  no  essential  respect  from 
that  described  by  Latin  writers,  e.g.,  Cato,  the  elder, 
who  lived  two  centuries  before  Christ,  and  Columella, 
who  was  contemporary. 

One  cannot  fail  to  be  struck  how  very  remarkably 
the  two  methods,  the  Roman  and  the  Jewish,  tally. 
Thus  another  important  point  is  established,  that  it  was 
customary  in  the  time  of  our  Lord  to  permanently  pre- 
serve the  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape.  Why  preserved, 
unless  to  be  drunk?  It  is  clear,  moreover,  that  this 
process  was  so  common  as  to  be  known  to  everybody, 
otherwise  Christ  would  not  have  said,  virtually,  "  No 
man  "  is  so  incredibly  stupid  or  so  ignorant  (seeing  the 
veriest  child  ought  to  know  better)  as  to  put  "new  wine," 
a  fermentable  liquor,  in  immediate  contact  with  a  fer- 
ment if  he  wishes  to  preserve  it.  The  structure  of  the 
whole  similitude  goes  to  prove  that  the  thing  entered 
into  the  daily  domestic  life  of  the   people,   living  in  a 


WINE  AND  NEW    WINE. 


219 


vine-growing  country,  and  that  the  name  of  wine  was 
constantly  applied  to  it. 

Nobody  who  is  acquainted  with  the  high  value  of 
grapes,  and  grape  juice  as  food  (grape  juice  being  in  this 
respect  little,  if  at  all,  inferior  to  milk  itself,  which 
chemically  it  closely  resembles)  will  wonder  that  pains 
should  have  been  taken  to  preserve  and  store  up  a  means 
of  subsistence  so  luxurious  and  so  cheap.  At  the  present 
day,  the  methodical  use  of  grapes  in  quantities  of  from 
three  to  eight  or  more  pounds  daily,  with  or  without 
other  nourishment,  is  much  in  vogue  at  the  so-called 
grape-cure  stations  in  Germany  and  Switzerland  ;  also 
in  the  south  of  France,  in  Italy  and  in  Austria.  At  these 
stations,  the  grape-cure  and  milk-cure  go  together. 
When  the  stomach  will  not  take  the  grapes  by  eating, 
the  freshly  expressed  juice  may  be  used.  The  must* 
may  also  be  bottled  and  employed  at  any  time  of  the 
year. 


*  The  late  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  in  a  letter  written  from  Mentone,  January 
5th,  1891,  quoted  in  "The  National  Temperance  Advocate,"  says:  "At  the  time 
I  wrote  (1877)  I  thought  there  was  no  non-intoxicating  wine — true  fruit  of  the 
vine  and  blood  of  the  grape.  We  have  found  a  true  natural  wine,  and  we  use 
it  with  satisfaction  to  all  our  friends.  I  cannot  think  that  alcohol  is  the  essen- 
tial point  in  the  memory  of  our  Lord's  death.  We  have  not  as  a  spiritual  fact 
found  it  so  in  our  church.  I  do  feel  that  for  the  strong  to  respect  the  scruples 
of  the  weak  brother  to  whom  intoxicating  wine  would  be  a  snare,  is  of  the 
very  essence  of  Christian  communion." 


FAREWELL:    LAND    OF   GENNESARET. 

rp HE  wedding  over — after  this  first  sign 
And  attestation  of  His  power  divine, 
Convincing  Hts  disciples — He,  intent 
To  put  fresh  honor  on  the  household,  went 
Down  to  Capernaum.       *       *       *       * 

Not  long  they  tarried.     The  Passover  nigh, 
He,  whom  the  paschal  lamb  did  typify, 
The  true  Passover  erelong  to  be  slain, 
As  was  His  yearly  wont,  had  willed  again 
To  go  up  to  Jerusalem.     'Twas  early  Spring, 
And  Morning  on  the  hill  stood  beckoning — 
The  hill  of  Bashan,  that  high  hill  of  God — 
With  forward  leaning,  all  a-tiptoe,  shod 
With  shoes  of  preparation.     Rising  higher 
Out  of  the  land  of  worshippers  of  fire 
The  worshipped  sun,  with  shafts  of  flame  uphurled, 
And  soft  salutatory  light,  awoke  the  world. 


FAREWELL:  LAND   OF  GENNESARET.  22 

Why  leaped  ye,  ye  high  hills  ?     Ye  Jesus  saw 
Who  rides  upon  the  heavens  by  His  name  Jah, 
An  earlier  Sun,  and  rising  ;  heard  that  voice, 
Which  makes  the  outgoings  of  the  morn  rejoice, 
In  prayer  and  praise  uplifted,  while  that  yet 
In  the  deep  waters  of  Gennesaret 
The  mirrored  stars  were  shining  :  wafted  song, 
Borne  on  the  charmed  and  dancing  waves  along, 
Across  the  Lake,  and  up  the  farther  shore, 
And  floating  high  the  grassy  uplands  o'er 
Of  kine  and  oak-producing  Bashan,  woke 
In  you  strange  rapture — dumb,  ye  spoke, 
Hearing  your  Maker  sing.     But  now  you  grieve, 
For  that  your  Lord  is  ready  you  to  leave. 

Sigh  your  farewell,  send  forth  a  piteous  bleat, 
Ye  hillsides  !  and,  ye  bellowing  vales,  repeat 
The  sadness  !  Lo,  the  pass  among  your  hills 
A  numerous  caravan  already  fills — 
The  Valley  of  the  Passengers  on  the  east — 
To-day  He  joins  them,  going  to  the  Feast. 

Mourn,  Bashan  !  Carmel,  mourn  !  behind  Him  left 
Your  pastures  languish,  of  the  joy  bereft 


2  FAREWELL:    LAND   OF  GENNESARET. 

Of  His  dear  presence,  as  from  parching  drought. 
What  can  ye  do  these  weary  months  without 
Your  dew  and  sunshine?     When  no  more,  alas, 
He  shall  come  down  like  rain  upon  the  grass, 
Like  showers  that  water  plenteously  the  earth, 
Filling  the  garners  and  averting  dearth. 

Look  thy  adieu,  Gennesaret,  sweet  Plain, 
Garden  of  God  !  look  once,  and  look  again  : 
Smile  through  thy  tears,  the  Lord  will  not  refuse 
Thy  farewell  wept  in  morning's  glittering  dews. 
Retreating  mountains  formed  thee  this  retreat — 
This  miracle  of  nature  'neath  His  feet, 
This  bay  of  land,  this  beautiful  recess, 
This  earthly  paradise,  for  't  is  no  less — 
One  backward  step  they  took  thee  room  to  make, 
Then  forward  one,  returning  to  the  Lake. 
O  rich  in  fountains,  rich  in  various  fruit, 
Rich  in  all  shade,  where  every  tree  takes  root 
And  flourishes  that  grows  in  any  zone, 
In  happy  strife  each  claiming  this  its  own  : 
The  tropic  palm,  the  walnut  and  the  oak, 
The  fig-tree  and  the  olive,  vines  that  cloak 
The  bareness  of  the  rocks  with  hanging  grace, 


FAREWELL:  LAND   OF  GENNESARET. 

Pomegranates  budding  in  a  sunny  place  ; 

Flowers  of  every  hue,  the  ardent  bloom 

Of  oleanders,  and  the  sweet  perfume 

Of  roses,  lilies  springing  from  the  grass 

Whose  naked  glories  Solomon's  surpass — 

O  weary,  weary,  weary  nights  and  days  ! 

Where  now  the  blush  that  mantled  at  His  praise  ? 

At  His  departure  all  your  beauties  pale, 

And  sadness  settles  over  all  the  vale. 

Begins  your  sobbing,  melancholy  moan, 
Ye  loving  turtle-doves,  ere  He  has  gone  : 
Ye  blue-birds,  that  the  grass-blade  scarcely  bow 
On  which  ye  light,  your  wings  are  heavy  now: 
Ye  crested  larks,  who  customed  are  to  fly 
Up  to  heaven-gate,  this  morn  ye  nestle  nigh 
His  passing  feet,  and  have  no  heart  to  rise: 
The  turtles  of  the  brook,  with  quick,  soft  eyes, 
Plead  for  a  parting  look:  storks  grave  and  staid 
Draw  near  for  valediction  unafraid: 
All  gentle  things  are  full  of  tender  pain, 
And  longing  for  His  quick  return  again. 
The  waves  that  ripple  softly  to  the  shore 
Whisper  the  wish,  and  at  His  feet  adore; 


223 


224  FAREWELL:    LAND    OF  GENNESARET. 

They  know  their  Lord,  and  His  commands  fulfill, 
Are  as  He  bids,  tempestuous  or  still. 

Who  scooped  thy  bed  one  hundred  fathoms  low 
Deep  toward  the  centre,  then  did  farther  go 
Twice  fifteen  fathoms  nearer  the  earth's  heart, 
And  there  thy  waters  sank,  and  by  His  art, 
In  the  divine  forgotten  days  of  old, 
Did  rim  the  oval  of  thy  cup  of  gold 
With  lofty  mountains  ?  Who,  indeed,  but  He, 
Thy  Maker  here,  O  Galilean  Sea  ! 
He  on  thy  willing  breast  this  morn  shall  float, 
Who  hath  no  need  of  sail  or  oar  or  boat, 
But  could  as  firmly  walk  thy  waters  o'er, 
As  though  upborne  upon  a  marble  floor. 
Why  still  when  all  things  beautiful  are  sad 
Looks  snowy  Hermon  glittering  and  glad — 
That  giant  of  the  north,  with  forehead  grand, 
And  sovereign  eye  o'erlooking  all  the  land  ? 
Why,  but  because,  go  where  the  Master  will, 
That  eye  pursues  Him,  and  is  with  Him  still; 
Smiling  and  blushing  at  the  holy  sight 
Its  snows  ashamed  before  His  stainless  white. 


FAREWELL:    LAND  OF  GEXXESARET. 

Be  comforted,  who  solitary  mourn  ! 
Not  long  ye  pine  forsaken  and  forlorn; 
The  darkened  East  shall  soon  your  Sun  restore, 
And  with  His  presence  gladden  you  once  more. 
Behold,  the  Great  Physician,  in  His  palm 
Bearing  miraculous  all-healing  balm, 
From  Transjordanic  Gilead  shall  come, 
And  make  His  dwelling  in  Capernaum. 

Here  in  this  City,  beautifully  set 
On  the  north  border  of  Gennesaret, 
His  mother  and  disciples,  locked  in  sleep, 
Know  not  He  wakes  to  worship,  perhaps,  weep. 
Land  of  Gennesaret !  to  thee  belongs 
The  Canticle  of  Canticles,  the  Song  of  Songs. 
Behold,  the  Bridegroom  stands  without,  His  locks 
Wet  with  the  dews  of  night,  and  softly  knocks. 

Calling,  I  heard  one  sweetly  say, 
And  knew  the  voice  of  my  Adored: 
"Arise,  my  love,  and  come  away, 

Thou  of  the  fair  and  polished  forehead  ! 

For  lo,  the  winter's  past,  the  rain 

Is  o'er  and  gone,  the  flowers  are  springing, 


225 


226  FAREWELL:   LAND  OF  GENNESARET. 

The  turtle's  voice  is  heard  again, 

And  all  around  the  birds  are  singing. 

Green  figs  put  forth,  the  vines  smell  sweet: 
Arise,  my  love,  'tis  time  for  waking; 

Make  haste,  I  wait  thy  tardy  feet, 

The  shadows  flee,  the  day  is  breaking." 

O  happy  days  and  nights  !     O  happy  bride, 
With  thy  Beloved  journeying  by  thy  side  ! 
Better  than  wine,  He'll  slake  thy  spirit's  drouth, 
With  the  moist  kisses  of  His  heavenly  mouth: 
Will  draw,  and  thou  wilt  follow,  day  by  day, 
With  ravished  footsteps  where  He  leads  the  way. 
Though  thou  art  black,  with  condescending  grace 
He  calls  thee  fair,  and  stoops  to  thy  embrace. 
As  is  the  apple-tree  among  the  trees, 
So  He  among  the  sons  are  more  than  these: 
Under  His  shadow,  thou  with  great  delight 
Shall  sit,  and  feast  thy  hungry  heart  and  sight. 
Chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  wholly  sweet, 
And  lovely  downward  to  His  beauteous  feet ! 
He  hath  dove's  eyes,  more  dewy  soft  than  ours; 
His  cheeks  are  beds  of  spices  and  sweet  flowers: 


PORTA S    VESTRAS.  JETERNALES. 

His  countenance  is  as  the  setting  sun 
Upon  the  snowy  peaks  of  Lebanon. 
Yea,  my  Beloved's  mine,  and  I  am  His; 
He  feeds  among  the  lilies,  pure  He  is: 
On  the  chaste  pillow  of  His  loving  breast, 
I'll  lay  my  weary  head  and  nightly  rest. 


227 


PORTAS  VESTRAS   ^ETERNALES. 
Translation. 
I. 
IFT  ye  up  the  eternal  portals, 
O  ye  high   and  blest  immortals  ! 
Heavenly  doors  wide  open  swing. 
Comes  the  Lord  of  Angels  straightway, 
Nears  the  everlasting  gateway, 

Lift  ye  up,  admit  your  King  ! 

II. 

Joyful  He,   all   white  and  ruddy, 
Lo,  He  comes  from  conquest  bloody, 
Bright  in  vestments  purple  dyed, 


228  PORTA S    VESTRAS  MTERNALES. 

Glorious  in  His  raiment  holy, 
Marching  in  His  own  strength  solely, 
Many  thousands  by  His  side. 

III. 

All   alone  and    unattended, 

Forth  from  Heaven  His  way  He  wended; 

But  returning,  many  brings — 
Fruit  of   His  divine  affection, 
Of   His  death  and  resurrection, 

Crop  of  heavenly  harvestings. 

IV. 

Joy  ye  in  the  God   of  Zion  ! 
Conquered  hath  His  foes,  the  Lion, 

Seed  of  Abraham,  triumphed  hath. 
Ruins  earth   no   more  shall  cumber, 
Heaven  shall  be  increased  in  number, 

Guilty  souls  be  saved   from  wrath. 

V. 

May  He  reign,  the  Vindicator, 
Christ  of    Men,    the   Liberator, 

King  of  Mercy,   Prince  of  Peace, 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


229 


God   Most  Mighty,  Life-bestower, 
And  of  Death  the   Overthrower, 

May  His  praises  never  cease  ! 


THE    RESURRECTION. 

TT  OFTEN  happens,  that  what  the  Scriptures  leave 
obscure  or  undefined,  men  in  their  attempts  to  ex- 
plain darken  the  more.  As  nobody  was  found  equal  to 
the  task  of  piecing  out  the  uncompleted  lines  of  Virgil's 
Sic  vos  non  vobis,  we  distrust  the  competency  of  human 
wisdom  to  supply  the  deficiencies  of  divine  authorship. 
This  is  applicable  to  creeds,  for  there  is  in  the  best  and 
most  venerated  of  them  a  human  element  which  reflects 
simply  the  knowledge  of  the  time.  Advancing  science, 
while  it  antiquates  so  much  of  these  as  is  human,  leaves 
the  divine  untouched  in  all  its  primitive  freshness.  The 
real  conflict  is  not  between  the  inspired  text,  but  its  in- 
terpretation. Creeds  have  their  uses,  but  Christ  says, 
"Come  to  Me!"  In  that  case,  we  have  truth  at  first  hand. 
We  drink  at  the  uncorrupted  source.  We  are  put  into 
original  relation  with  the  Great  Teacher  Himself.    Surely 


230 


THE     RESURRECTION. 


we  can  know  far  better  by  direct  tasting  that  sugar  is 
sweet  than  by  report;  but  it  is  a  common  fault  of  the 
learned  and  the  unlearned  alike,  that  they  rely  on  the 
say-so  of  men  who  had  no  better  means  of  knowing  than 
themselves,  if  as  good. 

Much  of  our  ignorance  is  of  ourselves.  Our  eyes  are 
full  of  dust.  Prejudice  blinds  us.  *  *  *  Christ 
said  to  Martha,  "I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life. 
Whosoever  believeth  on  Me  shall  never  die.  Believest 
thou  this?"  She  did  not  penetrate  His  meaning,  nor  try 
to.  She  had  glibly  expressed  her  belief  in  the  Resurrec- 
tion as  she  understood  it;  but  whether  the  saying  of  the 
Master  was  in  accordance  with  that  old  belief  she  did 
not  stop  to  inquire.  It  is  wonderful  how  contented  we 
are  in  our  ignorance.  Our  Lord's  question  is  addressed, 
no  doubt,  to  us  as  much  as  to  Martha;  and  we,  like  her, 
not  seeing  perhaps  how  a  present  Resurrection,  which 
seems  to  be  asserted,  harmonizes  with  a  Resurrection 
which  we  have  been  taught  to  believe  lies  in  the  far 
future,  pass  by  the  remarkable  declaration  as  some- 
thing enigmatical  or  too  profound  for  us. 

Believers  in  the  Resurrection  may  be  conveniently 
divided  into  three  classes: 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


231 


First. — Those  who  hold  that  the  selfsame  body  will 
be  raised  up  at  the  last  day,  meaning  thereby  all  the 
material  particles  which  happen  to  compose  it  at  the 
moment  of  death.  According  to  the  poet  Young,  how- 
ever, as  set  forth  in  his  poem  on  "The  Last  Day," 
members  previously  lost  will  be  supplied  : 

"  Dreadful  to  view,  see  through  the  dusky  sky 
Fragments  of  bodies  in  confusion  fly, 
To  distant  regions  journeying,  there  to  claim 
Deserted  members  and  complete  the  frame." 

Second. — Those  who  entertain  the  view  thus  ex- 
pressed in  the  Epitaph  ascribed  to  Milton  : 

"  These  Ashes,  which  do  here  remain, 
A  vital  tincture  still  retain  ; 
A  seminal  form  within  the  deeps 
Of  this  little  chaos  sleeps;     *     *     * 
This  plant  thus  calcined  into  dust, 
In  its  Ashes  rest  it  must, 
Until  sweet  Psyche  *  shall  inspire 


*  Psyche  (Greek)  occurs  over  one  hundred  times  in  the  New  Testament.  In 
about  half  the  cases  it  is  rendered  life,  and  in  the  other  half  soul;  while  the 
adjective  formed  from  it,  psychikos,  occurs  six  times,  in  four  of  which  it  is 
rendered  natural.  Pneuma,  with  its  derivatives,  occurs  more  than  four  hundred 
times,  and  is  rendered  uniformly  spirit,  except  in  those  cases  where  Holy  Ghost  is 
used  instead  of  Holy  Spirit. 


232  THE    RESURRECTION. 

A  softening  and  prolific  fire, 
And  in  her  fostering  arms  enfold 
This  heavy  and  this  earthly  mould." 

Third. — Those  who  hold  that,  while  we  are  justified 
in  assuming  that  "  a  seminal  form  "  exists,  it  is  to  be 
looked  for,  not  in  the  ashes  of  the  urn,  nor  the  dust  of 
the  grave,  but  in  the  depths  of  the  immortal  spirit 
itself,  forming  an  essential  part  of  it,  being,  in  fact, 
the  life  within  the  life,  possessing  genetic  aptitudes 
whereby,  under  a  divine  quickening,  a  spiritual  or 
pneumatical  body  emerges.  This — constituting  what  is 
called  the  Resurrection  from  the  dead — differs  from 
Christ's  Resurrection  chiefly  in  this  particular,  that  in 
His  case,  there  was  first  a  revivification  of  the  natural 
body  of  flesh  and  blood,  without  its  seeing  corruption  ;* 
and  a  spiritualizing  or  glorification  of  it  afterwards, 
before  His  ascension.  The  advocates  of  this  view  con- 
ceive that  it  alone  suits  the  analogy  pointed  at  by  Paul 
in  regard  to  the  buried  seed — the  likeness  being  prop- 
erly between  the  living  seed  and  the  living  man,  not 
the  dead  body.  "Dead  things,"  as  Locke  observes, 
"are  not  sown  ;  seeds  are  sown,  being  alive."  It  is  the 
living  acorn  that  contains  the  oak  ;  the  dead  acorn,  like 

*See  "The  Light  of  the  World,"  p.  141. 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


233 


the  dead  body,  is  empty  and  contains  nothing.  It  is  the 
psyche,  the  tree's  life,  resident  in  the  acorn,  to  which  it 
owes  all  its  glorious  possibilities.  It  is  this  which, 
making  use  of  its  environments,  builds  up  this  lordliest 
of  vegetable  forms.  Strictly  speaking,  life  springs  only 
from  life,  never  from  death.  The  seed  seems  to  die, 
but  does  not.  It  descends  to  ascend.  It  clothes  itself  ; 
it  puts  on  beauty  and  glory  ;  multiplies  itself  an 
hundred-fold,  and  is  thus  made  fit  to  minister  to  the 
necessities  of  man  ;  to  nourish  and  build  up  the 
brain — and  so  become  ancillary  to  thought  and  love  and 
worship. 

Compared  with  the  magnificent  potentialities  of  the 
human  germ,  those  of  the  seed  and  acorn  are  poor  and 
weak.  Here,  too,  it  is  the  indwelling  psyche,  infinitely 
enriched  however  by  special  endowments,  which,  in  its 
marvelous  workings  under  God,  crowds  into  the  period 
of  a  few  brief  months  the  accomplishments  of  mighty 
millenniums  ;  repeating,  so  to  speak,  the  miracles  of 
creation  from  the  beginning;  passing  up,  step  by  step, 
from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  ;  through  numerous 
imitative  metamorphoses,  culminating  in  the  perfected 
form  of  the  child  born  into  the  world. 

From  earliest    times  until    now,  much    use  has    been 


234 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


made,  in  the  way  of  illustration,  of  the  conversion  of 
the  caterpillar  into  the  butterfly,  but  the  mighty  trans- 
formations which  have  already  taken  place  at  the 
time  of  birth  leaves  this  poor  example  a  thousand 
leagues  behind.  But  change  and  ascent  do  not 
stop  at  birth.  The  infant  ripens  into  a  Newton. 
When  man  is  at  his  best  and  highest,  death  comes. 
Believers  of  this  third  class  regard  it  as  incredible  that, 
at  this  supreme  point,  there  should  be  any  pause  or 
backward  step  in  the  march  of  development.  They 
hold  that  death,  rightly  viewed,  so  far  from  being  catas- 
trophic and  final,  is  grandly  climacteric  ;  is  not  a 
plunge  downwards,  but  a  step  upwards;  a  mystic 
transition  and  birth  into  a  higher  life ;  that  it  is  not 
more  in  accordance  with  Christian  hope  than  it  is  with 
reason,  that  new  forces  should  now  come  into  play  and 
a  new  body  be  formed  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  one  ; 
that,  at  once,  without  any  yawning  interval,  under  a 
divine  and  gracious  quickening,  this  corruptible  should 
put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  should  put  on 
immortality,  and  that  death  should  be  swallowed  up  of 
life. 

All  this  is  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  assurance  of 
Paul,  who  said  he  knew  that  when    the    earthly  house 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


235 


of  this  tabernacle  was  dissolved  he  had  a  building 
of  God,  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens  ;  justifying  his  exultant  expectation  that,  ad- 
mitted to  the  vision  of  Jesus  in  His  glorified  body 
and  seeing  Him  as  He  is,  he  should  be  like  Him; 
that  having  borne  the  image  of  the  earthy,  he  should 
bear  henceforth  the  image  of  the  heavenly;  and  be 
prepared  to  praise  Him,  from  the  first,  for  a  finished 
and  complete  redemption,  including  that  of  his  body 
— having  attained  to'  the  resurrection  from  the  dead 
which  had  been  the  object  of  so  much  struggle  and 
endeavor  during  his  natural  life  on  the  earth.  As  the 
apostle  points  out,  that  is  not  first  which  is  spiritual 
(pneumatical),  but  that  which  is  natural  (psychical)  ; 
afterwards  that  which  is  spiritual  (pneumatical).  As 
the  psyche  begets  and  raises  up  the  psychical  or 
natural  body,  by  a  like  formative  energy,  it  is  thought, 
the  pneuma  (spirit)  begets  and  raises  up  the  pneumat- 
ical or  spiritual  body,  resemblant  but  different. 

In  further  confirmation  of  this  view,  they  cite  the 
declaration  of  our  Lord  to  Martha  :  "  I  am  the  Resur- 
rection and  the  Life,"  made  purposely,  it  would  seem, 
to  correct  an  erroneous  impression  which  Martha  enter- 
tained, in  accordance  with  the  prevalent  Jewish  belief, 


236 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


that  the  Resurrection  was  a  remote  event,  too  remote  to 
be    available    for    present   comfort    under  bereavement. 
Prior  to  Christ's  coming,  the  few  brief  hints  of  the  In- 
spired Scriptures  on  the  subject  of  the  Resurrection,  had 
been  formulated  by  the  Rabbins  into  a  creed.     As  Christ 
came  to  bring  life  and  immortality  to  life,  it  would  be  a 
disparagement  of  His   mission  to  suppose  that  all  His 
teachings,  in   regard   to  the  what  and  the  how  and  the 
when  of  the  Resurrection,  had  been  anticipated  by  these 
men,  leaving  Him   nothing  to  reveal  ;  and  so,  if  in  His 
utterance  on  this  occasion  there  should    be  found  some- 
thing new  and    different   from    the   accepted    Pharisaic 
doctrine,    it    would    be    no    more    than   what    might   be 
expected.      Christ's   teachings  and    the    Pharisees'   run, 
we    know,  counter  to  each   other.     They  materialized  ; 
He  spiritualized.      They  externalized  the   Kingdom   of 
God  and  were  looking  forward   to  it.     He  spoke  of  it, 
as  both  coming  and  having  come.     "It  cometh  not,"  He 
said,  "with  observation,  but  is  within  you!"     He  empha- 
sizes the  now.     All  is  now.     I   am  the  Resurrection  and 
Life  now :  the  Judgment  is  now.     The  hour  cometh,  and 
now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  they  that  hear  shall   live.     He  that  believeth 
on  the    Son   is   not   judged.     He    that    believeth  not   is 


THE    RESURRECTION.  237 

judged  already.  Every  day,  so  to  speak,  is  therefore 
Doomsday  ;  but  the  day  of  death  is,  in  a  special  sense, 
to  every  individual,  the  Last  Day,  and  the  Coming  of 
the  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  the  Day  of  Judg- 
ment. One  hundred  thousand  souls  (spirits)  are  ush- 
ered into  the  presence  of  the  Supreme  Judge  every 
twenty-four  hours  ;  four  thousand  every  hour,  night 
and  day;  sufficient,  one  might  think,  to  warrant  a  con- 
tinued session.  Thus  one  day  is  hardly  more  solemn 
than  another.  All  days  are  solemn.  "Every  meanest 
moment  rests  on  eternity." 

It  is  admitted,  that  the  language  employed  in  describ- 
ing the  Last  Judgment  and  the  End  of  the  World  is 
bold  and  full  of  material  imagery  ;  but  hardly  more  so 
than  that  applied  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  All 
Christ's  teachings  are  full  of  similitudes.  He  taught  in 
parables  and  prophesied  in  symbols.  The  apocalypse 
of  the  future  is  given  in  inspired  tableaux — scenic  repre- 
sentations, types  and  adumbrations  of  awful  realities, 
true  in  substance  if  not  in  form. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  this  view — not  this  view  either 
but  something  like  it — is  made  repugnant  to  many 
minds  by  its  accidental  association  with  Gnostic  and 
other   heresies.     It   is   certainly  free   from  some  of  the 


238  THE    RESURRECTION. 

difficulties  which  attach  to  both  the  other  two,  and  has 
many  things  to  recommend  it.  In  regard  to  the  first, 
although  apparently  favored  by  the  Creeds,  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  it  is  based  on  false  notions  of  identity,  and 
is  sanctioned  by  neither  reason  nor  Scripture.  Dust  is 
not  identity.  Had  Augustine — who  held  that  all  the 
matter  which  ever  entered  into  the  organism  however 
dispersed  here,  would  be  made  complete  in  quantity 
and  quality  in  the  Resurrection,  even  to  the  hairs  cut  off 
and  the  paring  of  the  nails — known  as  much  of  Physi- 
ology as  every  tyro  now  knows,  he  must  have  seen  how 
untenable  was  such  a  view.  For  what  are  the  facts  of 
the  case?  It  is  certain  that  our  bodies  are  never  two 
hours  together  wholly  the  same.  The  body  of  to-day  is 
not  the  body  of  yesterday.  "We  die  daily."  Let 
Augustine's  conjecture  be  judged  of  by  the  light  of  the 
following  extract,  taken  from  Dalton's  work  on  Human 
Physiology  :  "It  has  been  ascertained  by  careful  weigh- 
ing that  rather  more  than  seven  pounds  are  absorbed  and 
discharged  daily  by  the  healthy  human  subject  ;  and  for 
a  man  having  the  average  weight  of  140  pounds,  a 
quantity  of  material  equal  to  the  weight  of  the  whole 
body  is  thus  passed  through  the  system  in  twenty 
days" — tantamount  to  more  than  a  ton  a  year.     Augus- 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


239 


tine  died  at  75.  Accepting  his  view  as  correct,  the  size 
and  weight  of  his  own  resurrection  body  would  need  to 
be  enormous.  Thomas  Aquinas  held  the  more  mod- 
erate view,  that  only  the  particles  which  entered  into 
the  composition  of  the  body  at  death  would  be  raised, 
but  we  know,  that  a  sharp  sickness — aided  perhaps  by 
medicine  and  a  copious  blood-letting  just  before  death — 
can  reduce  the  weight  of  the  body  several  pounds;  and 
it  would  devolve  on  the  Angelical  Doctor  to  give  some 
good  reason  why  the  particles  that  remain  should  be 
more  sacred  and  worthy  of  being  raised  than  those  taken 
away.  Tertullian  absurdly  enough  supposed,  that  the 
teeth  were  purposely  made  "  indestructible,"  that  they 
might  serve  as  the  nucleus  of  the  new  body  at  the 
Resurrection.  A  Jewish  tradition,  on  the  other  hand, 
assigned  this  honor  to  a  part  of  the  os  coccygis. 

It  is  presumed  that  the  insuperable  difficulties  attend- 
ant upon  this  doctrine  of  literal  identity,  led  to  the 
adoption  of  the  second  view,  advocated  by  Drew  in  his 
able  treatise,  viz.,  that  there  is  an  indestructible  germ 
somewhere  in  our  present  body,  which  is  to  be  devel- 
oped in  the  future.  This  —  which  is,  if  we  mistake  not, 
the  belief  now  most  common  — agrees,  as  we  have  seen, 
with  the  third  view  in  assuming  the  existence  of  a  resi- 


24o  THE    RESURRECTION. 

dent  germinal  principle  by  means  of  which  the  new 
spiritual  body  or  organism  is  to  be  evolved,  but  differs 
in  supposing  that  this  descends  with  the  dead  body,  and 
lies  perdue  in  the  grave  until  the  end  of  the  world,  when 
it  is  first  quickened.  If  the  natural  body  is  to  be  suc- 
ceeded by  a  spiritual  body,  it  would  be  in  accordance 
with  all  analogy  that  provision  should  have  been  made 
in  the  original  constitution  of  our  nature  for  the  meta- 
morphosis, and  so  it  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the 
genetic  or  active  cause  of  such  transformation  has  a 
lodgment  somewhere  in  the  human  economy  ;  and  the 
question  arises  in  that  case,  which  is  most  likely  to  be 
its  seat,  the  dead  body  or  the  living  spirit.  Could  we 
find  good  scriptural  grounds  for  believing  that  it  goes 
with  the  spirit,  then  we  should  have  no  difficulty  in 
understanding  how  the  embodiment  which  takes  place 
should  be  immediate,  and  how  "  the  just"  would  have 
no  need  to  wait  to  be  "  made  perfect." 

The  difficulty  of  harmonizing  this  view  with  various 
texts  of  Scripture  may  not,  perhaps,  be  so  great  as  it 
seems.  We  do  not  think  it  the  least  of  its  recom- 
mendations, that  it  does  away  with  the  inferential  neces- 
sity of  an  intermediate  state,  with  its  inexplicable 
anomalies,    contradictions    and    twilight    underground 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


241 


associations  —  its  Paradise  being,  as  many  conceive  it, 
little  better  than  a  weird  betweenity,  a  kind  of  half 
prison,  a  place  of  exile  and  long  waiting.  What  the 
state  of  the  soul  (spirit)  is  without  the  body,  Isaac 
Taylor,  in  his  Physical  Theory  of  Another  Life,  tries  to 
imagine  and  tell  us  ;  and,  we  confess,  the  conclusions 
which  he  reaches  are  by  no  means  exhilarating.  He 
argues,  that  as  mind  is  dependent  upon  corporeity,  its 
powers  for  the  time  are  in  a  state  of  suspension.  The 
intermediate  period,  being  the  chrysalis  period  of  the 
soul,  is,  he  infers,  marked  by  the  destitution  of  all 
the  instruments  of  active  life,  corporeal  and  mental. 
This  state  of  inaction  is  probably,  he  thinks,  also  a  state 
of  subterranean  seclusion,  involving  perhaps  an  uncon- 
sciousness of  the  passage  of  time. 

This  picture,  it  must  be  conceded,  is  a  far  less  cheer- 
ing one  than  that  given  in  the  Westminster  Confession, 
which  distinctly  affirms  that  "the  souls  of  the  righteous, 
immediately  after  death,  being  made  perfect  in  holiness, 
are  received  into  the  highest  heaven,"  etc.  Now,  as 
nothing  can  be  higher  than  the  "highest,"  there  is 
clearly  no  room  left  for  anything  "  intermediate  ;  "  but 
not  content  with  this  implied  denial  of  an  intermediate 
state,  the  Confession  goes  on  to  say  expressly,  "Besides 


242  THE    RESURRECTION. 

these  two  places  [/.  e.,  heaven  and  hell]  the  Scripture 
acknowledged  none."  It  is  silent  as  to  the  disembodied 
soul's  mode  of  existence,  but  seems  to  take  it  for 
granted,  that  it  has  organs  perfectly  adapted  to  its  ex- 
alted condition.  Paul  speaks  of  being  absent  from  the 
body,  but  present  with  the  Lord,  which  might  be 
thought  to  imply  that  he  believed  in  the  possibility  of 
the  existence  of  the  soul  (spirit)  apart  from  the  body  ; 
but  on  the  other  hand,  one  would  be  led  to  think,  from 
the  importance  which  he  attached  everywhere  to  the 
Resurrection,  that  he  regarded  corporeity  —  spiritual 
corporeity  —  in  a  sense  necessary. 

Profoundly  impressed  with  the  greatness  of  the  mys- 
tery which  shrouds  the  subject,  the  writer  feels  that  no 
attitude  towards  it  becomes  him  but  one  of  reverent 
inquiry.  Therefore,  he  desires  it  to  be  understood,  that 
the  view  set  forth  is  propounded  rather  than  asserted. 
He  thinks  it  echoes  the  hope  if  not  the  belief  of  multi- 
tudes. If  true  and  justified  by  Scripture,  it  cannot  be 
deemed  otherwise  than  desirable  that  it  should  be 
divorced  from  the  error  or  the  folly  with  which  it  may 
happen  to  be  associated.  For  who  would  not  like  to  be 
Scripturally  certified  that  death  was  no  more  than  the 
putting    off   of   one    garment   and     the   putting    on    of 


THE  RESURRECTION. 


243 


another?  that  as  soon  as  the  soul  (spirit)  is  unclothed, 
it  is  clothed  upon  with  the  vestments  of  eternity?  It  is 
easy  to  start  objections,  and  raise  difficulties  against  any 
view.  On  a  subject  involved  in  so  much  uncertainty, 
the  writer  considers  it  is  lawful  to  differ.     *     *     * 

Trichotomists  are  those  who  hold  to  a  threefold 
division  of  the  nature  of  man,  in  accordance  with 
I  Thess.  v:  23,  which  speaks  of  spirit  (pneuma),  soul 
(psyche)  and  body  (soma),  as  constituting  the  whole 
person  to  be  preserved  blameless.  The  dichotomous 
view  (which,  by  the  way,  is  the  current  one  and  gives 
a  distinct  coloring  to  all  .the  creeds)  makes  man  to 
consist  of  two  parts,  viz.:  body  and  soul. 

The  pneuma,  or  spirit,  when  it  is  distinguished  from 
the  soul,  is  regarded  as  the  highest  principle  in  man's 
nature,  being  that  which  distinguishes  him  from  the 
brute  creation,  allies  him  to  God,  and  forms  the  true 
ground  of  his  immortality.  Strictly  speaking,  it  was 
the  pneuma,  or  the  spiritual  part  of  man,  rather  than 
the  intellectual,  that  fell — that  is,  suffered  degradation 
and  dethronement,  with  spiritual  darkness  and  death  as 
the  result. 

Regeneration  is,  therefore,  the  requickening  of  the 
dead  or  dormant   fallen  pneuma  (spirit);  and    its    rein- 


244 


THE    RESURRECTION. 


statement  as  the  supreme  regulative  faculty  in  man, 
dominating  all  below.  Standing  for  the  godlike,  it  is 
rich  in  all  divine  capabilities,  and  so  it  would  be  strange 
if  it  were  destitute  of  the  power  to  clothe  itself,  that 
being  one  of  the  most  necessary  of  all  powers.  Being 
in  its  own  nature  immortal,  it  needs  an  immortal  body, 
and  will  have  it,  because  it  needs  it,  and  when  it  needs 
it.  Potentially  present  in  the  germ  already,  it  is  the 
pushing  and  growing  force  of  the  indwelling  pneuma 
(spirit)  that  shapes  the  pneumatical  (spiritual)  body, 
and  makes  it  its  own.  Entombed  for  the  moment  in 
mortal  flesh,  its  resurrection  is  imminent.  Like  the 
butterfly  from  its  rent  cocoon,  the  embodied  psyche- 
pneuma  (soul-spirit)  will  spring  forth  winged  and  won- 
derful, and  ascend  to  the  highest  heavens.  Identity 
always  lies  in  the  personal  consciousness  of  the  Ego. 
It  is  simply  Myself,  and  not  an  affair  of  atoms  at  all. 


REGENERATION. 

A    LMIGHTY  God  !    how  small 
The  accidents  of  birth  ; 
Thine  equal  eye  looks  down  on  all 
Who   dwell  upon   the  earth. 

Who  dwell  upon  the  earth, 
The  Gentile  and  the  Jew, 

All  men  alike,  wherever  found, 
Thy  Spirit  must  renew. 

Thy  Spirit  must  renew, 

Proud  boasts  of  blood  are  vain; — 
The  lips  of  Truth  to  all   declare, 
"Ye    must    be    born  again." 

"  Ye  must  be  born  again," 
There  is  exception  none  ; 
Enlightened   eyes  alone  can  see, 
The   Kingdom  of   Thy  Son. 


246  REGENERA  TION. 

The  Kingdom  of   Thy  Son 
Set  up  the  soul  within, 

A  heavenly  rule  of  purity 
To  make  an  end  of  sin. 

To  make  an  end  of  sin, 

The  work   of   grace  complete, 

Inclining  evermore  the  will 
To  make  obedience  sweet. 

To  make  obedience  sweet 
On  us  Thy  Spirit  shed  ; 

O  Holy  Ghost,  requicken    us 
And    raise  us  from  the  dead  ! 

And   raise  us   from    the   dead  — 
Baptismal    grace  convey, 

And   bless  the  water  of   the  Word 
To  wash    our  sins  away. 

To  wash  our  sins  away 
True  penitence  impart ; 

And  make  us  on   The  Crucified 
Believe  with  all    the  heart. 


REGENERA  TION. 

Believe  with   all   the  heart 

Thou  verily  didst  give 
Thy  Son    to  die  upon  the  cross 

That  guilty  souls  may  live. 

That   guilty  souls  may  live, 

And  Christ  not  die  in  vain, 
May  man,  once  in  Thy  likeness  made, 

Thine  image  bear  again. 

Thine  image  bear  again, 

Original  and  whole, 
Enstamped    upon    his  breast   and    brain, 

And   mirrored  in  his  soul. 

And  mirrored   in  his  soul, 

As  in  a  lakelet  lie 
The  pictured  purity  and  peace 

And  glory  of   the  sky. 


247 


THE     MANY     MANSIONS. 

rpHEN  taking  bread,  and  giving  thanks,  He  brake 

And  gave  to  His  disciples,  saying,  "Take 
Eat,  this  My  body  is,  that  's  broke  for  you,       . » 
This  in  commemoration  of  Me  do." 
He  took  the  cup,  and  blessed  it  to  their  use, 
Filled  with  the  living,  uncorrupted  juice* 
Of  the  crushed  cluster,  "inoffensive  must" — f 
A  thing  unleavened,  worthy  of  all  trust — 
And,  as  He  gave  to  them  the  purple  food, 
Said  :    "  Drink  ye  all  of  it ;    this  is  My  blood 
Of  the  New  Covenant  for  many  shed  ; 
Remember  Me  in  this,  as  in  the  bread. 
I  '11  drink  no  more  the  product  of  the  vine, 
Till  in  God's  Kingdom  I  shall  drink  new  wine."  J 

"  Be  ye  not  troubled   in  undue  degree, 
Belief  in  God  demands  belief  in  Me. 
My  Father's  house  has  mansions  manifold  ; 

*To  symbolize  a  body  that  "did  not  see  corruption." 

t  "  For  drink,  the  grape  she  crushes,  inoffensive  must." — Paradise  Lost,  v.  344. 
See  Gen.  xi :  9-1 1. 
tSee  "The  Evangel,"  p.  233,  note. 


THE    MANY  MANSIONS.  249 

If  't  were  not  so,  I  would  you  it  have  told. 

I  go  for  each  a  dwelling  to  prepare  — 

A  house  not   made  with   hands,  divinely  fair, 

A  body  like  My  own.      If  I  you  leave, 

I  will  return,  and  to  Myself  receive. 

That  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also. 

Ye  know  the  whither  and  the  way  I  go." 

Before  any  one  rejects  this  interpretation  as  fanciful 
and  unauthorized,  let  him,  if  he  will,  consider  whether  it 
does  not  suit  the  context  ;  and  whether  it  does  not  har- 
monize with  other  Scripture.  The  objection  that  the 
"  many  mansions "  are  spoken  of  as  already  existing, 
would  apply  equally  to  Paul's  affirmation,  "We  have  a 
house  (referring  clearly,  it  would  seem  from  the  con- 
nection, to  the  spiritual  body)  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal  in  the  heavens."  Jesus  speaks  in  the  next  verse  : 
"  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,"  and  yet,  the  place  is 
elsewhere  spoken  of  (Matt,  xxv :  34)  as  "prepared  for 
3>-ou  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  So  we  read  of 
"  The  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 
What  is  fixed  in  the  divine  purpose  is  considered  as 
already  existing.  In  regard  to  the  many  mansions, 
there  is  no  need  that  we  should  figure  them  as  dwel- 


250  THE    MANY  MANSIONS. 

ling-places,  empty  and  expectant,  actually  existing  in 
heaven  ;  but  as  potential  habitations,  preparing  and 
to  be  prepared  for  an  eternal  residence.  Admit- 
ting that  the  spiritual  bodies  of  the  redeemed  are 
meant  thereby,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  how  that 
His  going  before  would  have  reference  to  His  sending 
the  Holy  Ghost  with  His  quickening,  upbuilding  and 
shaping  influences,  guiding  and  directing  the  pneuma 
(spirit)  at  last  in  the  way  heretofore  indicated,  so  as  to 
give  to  every  sanctified  personality,  at  or  after  death, 
His  "  own  (spiritual)  body";  whence  it  would  come  to 
pass  that  the  number  of  mansions  would  correspond  to 
the  number  of  the  saved,  and  each  house  with  its  inhab- 
itant would  be  distinctive  and  peculiar — differing,  it 
may  be,  as  stars  differ  from  one  another  in  glory.  The 
coming  again,  promised  in  the  same  connection,  nearly 
all  agree,  refers  to  Christ's  coming  at  death.  The 
Swedenborgian  figment,  that  by  many  mansions  are 
meant  stellar  worlds  to  which  souls  are  distributed, 
finds  no  basis  in  Scripture,  nor,  we  may  add,  in  common 
sense  ;  and  to  minimize  the  meaning  to  the  dimensions 
of  so  poor  a  thought,  as  that  there  is  room  (space) 
enough  in  heaven  for  all  believers,  is,  we  think,  to  do 
injustice  both  to  the  speaker  and  the  occasion. 


THE    MANY  MAN  SI  OX  S. 


251 


Christ  promised  His  disciples,  that,  having  gone  and 
prepared  a  place  for  them,  He  would  come  again  and 
receive  them  to  Himself,  that  they  might  be  with  Him. 
Did  He  come  ?  If  so,  when  ?  If  He  came  to  them  at 
death,  He  came  according  to  Philippians  iii:  21 — clothed 
with  omnipotence  to  fashion  them  a  body  like  unto  His 
own  glorious  body.  Manifestly  it  were  not  a  full  salva- 
tion, "without  the  redemption  of  the  body."  "The 
house  we  live  in  "  below,  is  the  body  of  flesh,  wonderful 
beyond  everything  we  know.  And  we  can  conceive  of 
no  "  mansion "  that  our  ascended  Lord  could  prepare 
for  us,  even  in  heaven,  so  desirable  as  an  immortal  body 
suited  to  the  needs  of  the  immortal  spirit.  We  feel 
quite  sure  that  there  is  no  substitute  for  it  in  the  whole 
universe. 

Another  thought.  The  Lord's  Supper,  just  insti- 
tuted, symbolizes  divine  assimilation.  By  a  believing 
apprehension  and  appropriation  of  Christ  we  are 
changed  into  the  same  image.  He  is  our  aliment. 
Our  springs  of  life  are  in  Him.  Through  Him  "The 
inner  man  is  renewed  day  by  day."  May  we  not 
assume  that  there  is  some  reference  here  to  the 
spiritual  body,  which  is  essential  to  the  completeness 
of  our  personality  as  the  sons  of  God  ? 


EUCHARISTIC     HYMN. 

NOW    FIRST    PUBLISHED. 

"pvEAR  Lamb  of  God,  our  Food  ! 

We  round  Thy  board  are  met, 
Rememb'ring  at  what  cost  of  blood 
Thyself  didst  pay  our  debt. 

We  see  Thee  stagger  up 

The  Mount  of  penal  Pain, 
And  for  our  sins  the  dreadful  cup 

Of  expiation  drain. 

Both  Human  and  Divine — 

The  slain  for  us  we  see, 
We  eat  the  bread  and  drink  the  wine 

In  memory  of  Thee. 

Thy  body  we  discern, 

By  faith  on  Thee  we  feed; 

Thyself  made  flesh  is  meat,  we  learn, 
Thy  blood  is  drink  indeed. 


HARK!    CHERUB    VOICES    SAY.  253 

Eternal  thanks  we  owe; 

Our  lips  shall  ne'er  be  dumb; 
While  these  memorials  forth  shall  show 

Thy  death  till  Thou  shalt  come. 


HARK  !    CHERUB  VOICES  SAY. 

TT'ARK!   Cherub  voices  say, 

"  Lift  up  your  heads,  ye  gates  !  lift  up,  swing  wide, 
Ye  everlasting  doors  !    that,  side  by  side 

With  Heaven's  great  Monarch,  they 
Whom  He  has  ransomed,  now  may  enter  in  — 
His  blood-bought  purchase,  purified  from  sin." 

They  see  Him  as   He  is, 
Incomparable  in  beauty.      O  how  strange  ! 
From  glory  unto  glory  they  shall  change 

Henceforth,  until,  like  His, 
Shall  be  the  fashion  of  each  form  and  feature — 
The  great  Creator  mirrored  in  the  creature. 


254  HARK!    CHERUB    VOICES    SAY. 

Adore  !   adore  !  adore  ! 
They  swiftly  rise,  upborne  on  mighty  pinions, 
Through  the  immensity  of  God's  dominions, 

They  touch,  they  tread  Heaven's  floor  ; 
With  hallelujahs,  psalms,  and  hymns  of  laud, 
They  prostrate  fall  before  the  Throne  of  God. 

From  lips  that  ever  burn, 
Ascends  glad  praise  from  the  angelic  choir  ; 
But  there  are  sounds  struck  from  the  Saint's  soft  lyre, 

Which  none  but  they  can  learn  — 
The  sweet,  strange  pathos  of  whose  warbled  hymn 
Doth  ravish  more  than  song  of  Seraphim. 

Unending  is  this  bliss 
The  pillared  firmament  and  all  the  spheres 
May  sink,  perchance,  in  the  long  lapse  of  years, 

Swallowed  in  Night's  abyss  — 
But  to  the  dwellers  in  Eternity, 
A  thousand  years  shall   as  a  moment  be. 


DIES     I  R  i£ . 

I7TH   VERSION — NOW   FIRST   PUBLISHED. 

T~\AY  of  wrath,  that  day  of  doom, 

All  to  ashes  shall  consume, 
Whereof  David  witness  bears, 
As  the  Sibyl,  too,  declares. 

O  how  great  the  trembling,  when 
Shall  draw  near  the  Judge  of   men, 
To  make  inquisition  strict, 
And  the  guilty  to  convict. 

Loud   the  wakening  Trumpet's  roar 
Through  the  tombs  of  earth  shall  pour, 
Gathering  to  that  Throne  of   dread 
All  the  living  and  the  dead. 

Death  and  Nature's  self  shall  quake 
When  they  see  the  creature  wake 
From  the  dust,  again   to  live, 
Answer  for  his  deeds  to  give. 


256  DIES    IRjE. 

Brought  shall  be  the  written  scroll 
Wherein  is  contained  the  whole, 
And,  on  this  authentic  base, 
Shall  be  judged  the  human  race. 

When  the  Judge  shall  sit,  whate'er 
Hidden  is  shall  then  appear  ; 
Everything  shall  be  made  plain, 
Nothing  unavenged  remain. 

What,  alas,  shall  I  then  say  ? 
To  what  powerful  patron  pray  ? 
How  shall  I  the  test  endure 
When  the  just  is  not  secure  ? 

King  of  dreadful  majesty, 
Let  me  shelter  find  in  Thee  ; 
Thou  who  dost  most  freely  save, 
Fount  of  good,  I  mercy  crave. 

O  remember  how  my  guilt 
Was  the  cause  Thy  blood  was  spilt! 
Mind  the  sorrows  of  Thy  way, 
Lest  I  perish  on  that  Day  ! 


DIES   IRjE. 

Me  Thou  sought'st  with  toil  and  loss, 
Didst  redeem   me  on  the  Cross 
By  Thine  agony  and  pain, 
Let  such  labor  not  be  vain  ! 

Righteous  Judge  of  Vengeance,  who 
Art,  though  just,  forgiving  too,  • 
Cancel  Thou  my  debt  immense 
Ere  that  day  of  recompense. 

Like  a  culprit,  guilt  and  shame  • 
Cheek  and  brow  and  neck  inflame  ; 
Me  a  groaning  suppliant  spare, 
Bowed  in  agony  of  prayer. 

Thou  who  Mary's  heart  didst  cheer, 
And  the  robber's  prayer  didst  hear, 
Hast  refused  not  to  bestow 
Humble  hope  on  me,  also. 

Though  my  prayers  unworthy  be, 
Great  is  Thy  benignity  ; 
Grant  that  succor  I  require, 
Lest  I  burn  in  endless  fire. 


257 


258  DIES    IRJE. 

When,  disposed  on  either  side, 
Sheep  from  goats  Thou  shalt  divide, 
Far  from  these,  O  let  me  stand 
With  Thy  flock  at  Thy  right  hand. 

While  the  damned  away  are  driven, 
And  to  sharpest  flames  are  given, 
Call  me  from  Thy  throne  on  high, 
With  the  blessed  to  draw  nigh. 


DIES     IR^E 


THE    18TH    VERSION,    NOW    FIRST    PUBLISHED,    WITH    ADDITIONAL 

RENDERINGS   OF   THE    1ST,     5TH,    6TH,    7TH,    8TH, 

IITH,    I3TII    AND    I4TH    STANZAS. 

i     T^AY  of  wrath,  that  day  amazing, 

High  the  bannered   Cross  upraising,* 
While  the  universe  is  blazing  !f 

*  Crucis  expandens  vexilla.    The  reading  of  the  Parisian  Missal. 

+  1 — a        Day  of  wrath,  that  day  of  trouble 

When  the  world  shall  burn  as  stubble, 
Of  which  there  is  witness  double. 

b  Day  of  wrath  !  O  day  amazing  ! 
Prophets  down  the  ages  gazing 
See  the  whole  creation  blazing. 


DIES   IRM. 

2  O  what  terror  !     O  what  quaking  ! 
As  the  Judge  His  way  is  taking, 
Inquest  strict  in  all  things    making. 

3  Hark  !    the  Trump's  reverberations, 
Through  the  graveyards  of  the  nations, 
Scattering  divine   citations  ! 

4  Death  and  Nature  stand  confounded, 
As  the  buried  dead  astounded 

Rise  to  answer  summons  sounded. 

5  Mystic  Book  of  God's  own  penning, 
Awful  Record  of  men's  sinning, 
Shall  be  read  from  the  beginning.  * 


*  5 — a        Mystic  Book  of  God's  own  penning, 
Record  of  each  act  of  sinning, 
Shall  be  read  from  the  beginning. 

b        Mystic  Volume  of  God's  penning, 
Perfect  record  of  men's  sinning, 
Shall  be  read  from  the  beginning. 

c        Book,  true  record  of  man's  sinning, 
While  the  thread  of  life  was  spinning. 
Shall  be  read  from  the  beginning. 

d       Written  Book  of  registration 

Of  men's  deeds  from  the  creation 
Shall  be  brought  for  attestation. 


259 


260  DIES   IRsE. 

6  When  the  Judge  enthroned  shall  hover, 
All  that's  hidden  He'll  uncover, 
Unavenged  naught  be  passed  over.* 

7  Guilty  fears  my  heart   assailing — 
Ah  !    what  plea  will  be  availing, 
When  the  just  man's  cheek  is  paling  !  f 

8  Mighty  King  and  formidable  ! 
Free  Thy  grace  and  admirable, 
Save  Thou  me,  Thou  who  art  able  !  J 

*  6  When  the  Judge  shall  sit,  all  hidden 

Guilt  shall  spring  to  light  unbidden, 
Right  no  more  be  overridden. 

+  7 — a        Guilty  fears  my  heart  assailing — 
Then  what  help  will  be  availing, 
When  the  just  man's  cheek  is  paling  ! 

b        Ah  !  what  prayer  shall  I  then  utter, 
To  what  Patron  my  fears  utter, 
When  the  hearts  of  just  men  flutter. 

%  8 — a       Mighty  King  and  formidable  ! 

Free  Thy  grace.  Thy  promise  stable, 
Save  Thou  me,  Thou  who  art  able. 

b        Dreadful  King,  Thy  word  fulfilling, 
Grace  most  free  on  men  distilling, 
Me  to  save  be  not  unwilling. 

c  •     Mighty  King  and  formidable  ! 
Free  Thy  grace  unmeritable, 
Save  Thou  me,  Thou  who  art  able  ! 

d        King  of  Kings  !  dread  Power  of  powers  ! 
High  o'er  all  Thy  free  grace  towers, 
Deign  me  drop  of  heavenly  showers  ! 

e  King  with  dread  all  Nature  filling, 
Grace  most  free  on  men  distilling, 
Me  to  save  be  not  unwilling. 


DIES   IR^E. 

9     Jesus  kind,  do  not  refuse  me  ! 

0  remember  Thou  didst  choose  me, 
Lest  Thou  on  that  Day  shalt  lose  me  ! 

10     Seeking  me  Thy  tired  feet  bore  Thee, 
Cruel  nails  for  my  sake  tore  Thee, 
Let  all  fail  not,  I  implore  Thee  ! 

ii     Righteous  Judge,  I  make  petition— 
Of  my  sins  grant  full  remission, 
Ere  that  Day  of  Inquisition  !  * 

12     Hear  my  groans  to  Thee  ascending, 
Contrite  sighs  with  blushes  blending, 
Spare  me,  at  Thy  footstool  bending! 


ii— a        Just  Avenger,  heart  appalling  ! 
Pity  me,  upon  Thee  calling  ! 
Me  absolve— that  Day  forestalling  ! 

b        Righteous  Judge,  my  heart  appalling  ! 
Pity  me,  O  hear  me  calling  ! 
Me  forgive,  that  day  forestalling. 

c       Righteous  Judge,  to  guilt  appalling  ! 
Pity  me,  O  hear  me  calling  ! 
Me  forgive  that  day  forestalling. 


26l 


262  DIES    I  KM. 

13  Thou  who  stilledst  Mary's  crying, 
Heard'st  the  Thief  when  he  was  dying, 
Hope  me  gavest,  me  applying.* 

14  Not  a  thousandfold  recital 

Of  my  prayer  can  give  me  title — 
Endless  lire  my  just  requital  !f 

15  When  the  goats  afar  are  driven, 
Place  be  with  Thy  sheep  me  given, 
On  Thy  right  hand,  King  of  Heaven  ! 

16  When  the  fiery  pit  and    hollow, 
Yawning  wide  the  wicked  swallow  ; 
Where  Thou  ent'rest  let  me  follow  ! 


*  13 — a  Thou  who  Mary's  weeping-  stilledst, 
And  the  Robber's  prayer  fuliilledst, 
Once  with  hope  my  bosom  thrilledst. 

b        Thou  absolvedst  Mary  crying, 

Heard'st  the  thief  when  he  was  dying, 
Hope  me  gavest  to  Thee  flying. 

c        Thou  who  stilledst  Mary's  crying, 

Heardst  the  Thief  when  he  was  dying, 
Hope  vouchsafedst  me  applying. 

t  14  Not  a  thousandfold  recital 

Of  my  prayers  would  be  requital 
But  Thy  grace  can  give  me  title. 


THE    NEW   JERUSALEM. 

Revelation,  Chapter   xxi. 
[now  first  published] 

TERUSALEM  of  golden  fame- 
When  shall  my  longing  eyes 
Behold  that  great  Metropolis 
And  wonder  of  the  skies  ? 

I  read  in  the  Apocalypse, 

The  City   lies  foresquare, 
And  has  great    walls  exceeding    high, 

And  gates    beyond  compare. 

Its  walls  are   built   of   jasper   smooth  ; 

The  City  of  pure  gold  ; 
Its    twelve    foundations    are    adorned 

With  gems  of  worth  untold. 

The  first  foundation  jasper  is  ; 

The  second,  sapphire  called  ; 
The  third   is    chaste    chalcedony  ; 

The  fourth,  the  emerald  ; 


264  THE    NEW  JERUSALEM. 

The  fifth,  the  yellow  sardonyx ; 

The    sixth,  the    reddish  sard  ; 
The    seventh,    the    chrysolite   pale    green, 

The  eighth,  the  beryl  hard  ; 

The  topaz  ninth,  the  chrysoprase 

The  tenth  is  in  the  list, 
Th'  eleventh  is  the  hyacinth  ; 

The  twelfth,  the  amethyst. 

The  twelve  gates  are  twelve  pearls,  one  pearl 
Each    gate  through  which    to  pass  ; 

The  streets   are    pure    and    burnished    gold, 
Transparent  like  to  glass. 

Therein  no  temple  is,  no  need 

To  worship  God  afar, 
The    Lord    Almighty    and    the    Lamb 

Themselves  the  temple  are. 

The  City  needs  nor  sun    nor    moon 

To  shine  upon  it,  for 
God's  glory    and    the    Lamb's    shall    be 

Its  light  forevermore. 


THE    NEW  JERUSALEM.  265 

The  gates  therein  are  never    shut 

By    day    (of    night    there's    naught)  ; 

The  glory  and  the  honor  of 

The    nations    are    there    brought. 

Nothing  unclean  can  enter,  nor 

Liars,  nor  sons  of  strife, 
But   only   those   whose  names    appear 

In  the  Lamb's  Book  of    Life. 

River   of    Life,    as    crystal    clear, 

From  secret    fountain  flows — 
The    throne    of    God    and    of    the    Lamb — 

And  warbles  as  it  goes. 

On    either    side,    in    the    street's    midst, 

The  Tree  of   Life  stands  green, 
That  bears  twelve  sorts  of  fruits — each  month 

Still  new  fruit  there  is  seen. 

And  the  Tree's  leaves  likewise  are  meant 

The  nations'  hurt  to  heal — 
Such  pity  is    there    in    God's    heart, 

Such  love  for    human  weal. 


266  THE    NEW  JERUSALEM. 

No  curse  is    there — His  servants  shall 
Him  serve,  each  in  his  place  ; 

His    name    shall    in    their   foreheads    be 
And  they  shall  see  His  face. 

Jerusalem  of  golden  fame — 
When  shall  my  longing  eyes 

Behold    that   great    Metropolis 
And  wonder  of  the  skies? 

I,  John,  the  Holy  City  saw, 

Adorned   with  many   a  gem 
Like    to    a   bride,    come   down    from    God- 

The  New  Jerusalem — 

And    out    of   heaven    I    heard    a    voice 
Proclaim  aloud  and  tell  : 
"  God's  tabernacle  is    with  men, 
And  He  with  them  will  dwell. 

"And    He    shall    ever    with    them    be; 
No  grief  shall  more  arise  ; 
His    hands    shall    wipe    away    all    tears 
Forever  from  their  eyes." 


THE    NEW  JERUSALEM.  267 

And  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne 

Said,  "  I  make  all  things  new  ; 
Write  !    for  these    words    I    utter    are 

Most  faithful    and    most  true. 

"  I  Alpha  and  Omega  am, 
Beginning  and    the    End  ; 
Water   of    Life    to    all    who    thirst 
I  freely  will  extend, 

"  To  him    who    overcomes    shall    fail 
Of   all    these    things    not   one  ; 
And  I    will  be  his    Father    God, 
And  he  shall  be  My  son." 

Then    a  great    voice    was    heard    in    heaven, 

As  of  a  mighty  throng, 
Proclaiming,   "  Hallelujah  !    power 

And  rule  to  God  belong." 

Jerusalem  of  golden  fame — 

When  shall    my    longing   eyes 
Behold  that   great    Metropolis 

And  wonder  of  the    skies  ? 


Sit  laus  Patri  cum  Filio, 
Sancto  simul   Paraclito, 
Nobisque  mittat  Filius 
Charisma  Sancti  Spiritus. 

Praise  to  the  Father  with  the  Son 
And  Comforter,  dear  Three  in  One; 
And  may  the  Son  on  us  in  love 
Send  down  the  Spirit  from  above. 


W  ORKS 


ABRAHAM    COLES,   M.D.,   L  L.  D. 


REVIEWED    BY 


EMINENT     CRITICS 


WORKS  OF  ABRAHAM  COLES,  M.D.,  LL.D. 


LATIN  HYMNS,  in  Four  Parts,  viz.: 

I.     Dies  Ir,e,  in  Thirteen  Original  Versions.     Sixth 

edition.     (1892.) 
II.     Stabat  Mater  (Dolorosa).     Third  edition. 

III.  Stabat  Mater  (Speciosa).     Second  edition. 

IV.  Old  Gems  in  New  Settings.     Third  edition. 

All  bound  together,  with  biographical  and  critical 
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ator,"  "St.  Augustine  and  His  Mother,"  "Faith  and 
Hope,"  by  Ary  Scheffer;  "  Mary  at  the  Cross,"  by  Paul 
Delaroche;  Raphael's  "  Madonna  di  San  Sisto,"  the  gem 
of  the  Dresden  gallery;  "Ecstasy  and  Prayer,"  by  Ch. 
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THE  MICROCOSM  AND  OTHER  POEMS. 

Including  three  additional  versions  of  the  "  Dies  Irse," 
National  Lyrics,  and  Hymns  for  Children.  Beautilully 
illustrated.     Crown,  8vo,  pp.  348.     $2.50. 

THE  LIFE  AND  TEACHINGS  OF  OUR  LORD. 
In  Verse. 

Being  a  complete,  harmonized  exposition  of  the  four 
gospels,  with  original  notes,  etc.  A  cyclopaedia  of  re- 
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Illustrated  with  Munkacsy's  "Christ  Before  Pilate." 
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THE    LIFE   AND    TEACHINGS    OF   OUR    LORD. 
In  Verse.     Two  volumes,  viz.: 

Vol.  I.     The  Evangel. 

Illustrated  with  twenty-eight  full-page  "  artotype ' 
copies  of:  "  Ecce  Homo,"  by  Guido  Reni;  "The  Four 
Evangelists,"  by  Thorwaldsen  ;  "Salvator  Mundi,"  by 
Carlo  Dolce;  "The  First  Death,"  by  Adrian  V.  Werff  ; 
"The  Annunciation,"  by  Prof.  E.  Deger;  "  The  Visita- 
tion," by  Bida;  "Golgotha,"  by  J.  L.  Gerome;  "La 
Notte,"  by  Correggio;  "The  Presentation  in  the  Tem- 
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hem," by  J.  Portaels;  "The  Flight  into  Egypt,"  by 
Dorothea  Lister;  "The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents,"  by 
Guido;  "The  Shadow  of  the  Cross,"  by  Phil.  R.  Morris; 
"  Nazareth,"  by  W.  T.  C.  Dobson:  "The  Good  Shep- 
herd," by  Murillo;  "The  Finding  of  the  Saviour  in  the 
Temple,"  by  W.  Holman  Hunt;  "The  Voice  in  the 
Wilderness,"  by  Guido  Reni;  "Jesus,  the  Christ,"  by 
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A  NEW  RENDERING  OF  THE  HEBREW  PSALMS 
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MAN,   THE    MICROCOSM;    AND    THE    COSMOS. 

Fourth  edition.     (1892.) 

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MAN,   THE  MICROCOSM.       Fifth    (Physicians')  edi- 
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D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  Publishers,  New  York. 


CRITICS   AND    CRITICISMS. 


CRITICS   AND   CRITICISMS. 

Richard  Grant  White  (1S21-1885),  in  "The  Albion": 

"  We  commend  the  volume,  '  Dies  Irae,  in  Thirteen  Original  Ver- 
sions,' as  one  of  great  interest;  and  an  admirable  tribute  from 
American  scholarship  and  poetic  taste  to  the  supreme  nobility  of  the 
original  poem.  Dr.  Coles  has  shown  a  fine  appreciation  of  the 
spirit  and  rhythmic  movement  of  the  Hymn,  as  well  as  unusual 
command  of  language  and  rhyme;  and  we  much  doubt  whether  any 
translation  of  the  '  Dies  Iras,'  better  than  the  first  of  the  thirteen,  will 
ever  be  produced  in  English,  except  perhaps  by  himself.  .  .  .  As  to 
the  translation  of  the  Hymn,  it  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  task 
that  could  be  undertaken.  To  render  'Faust'  or  the  'Songs  of 
Egmont'  into  fitting  English  numbers,  would  be  easy  in  com- 
parison." 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Irenaeus  Prime,  D.  D.  (1812-1885),  in 

the  "  New  York  Observer  ": 

"The  book  is  a  gem  both  typographically  and  ntrinsically ;  beau- 
tifully printed  at  the  '  Riverside  Press,'  in  the  loveliest  antique  type, 
on  tinted  paper,  with  liberal  margins,  embellished  with  exquisite 
photographs  of  the  great  masterpieces  of  Christian  art,  and  withal 
elegantly  and  solidly  bound  in  Matthew's  best  style,  a  gentleman- 
like book,  suggestive  of  Christmas  and  the  centre-table;  and  its 
contents  worthy  of  their  dainty  envelope,  amply  entitling  it  as  well 
to  a  place  on  the  shelves  of  the  scholar The  first  two  of  the 


thirteen  versions  of  the  'Dies  Irae'  appeared  in  the  'Newark  Daily- 
Advertiser '  as  long  ago  as  1847.  They  were  extensively  copied  by 
the  press,  and  warmly  commended — particularly  by  the  Rev.  Drs. 
James  W.  Alexander  and  W.  R.  Williams,  scholars  whose  critical 
acumen  and  literary  ability  are  universally  recognized — as  being 
the  best  of  the  English  versions  in  double  rhyme;  and  examples  of 
singular  success  in  a  difficult  undertaking,  in  which  many,  and  of 
eminent  name,  had  been  competitors.  The  eleven  other  versions 
are  worthy  companions  of  those  which  have  received  such  eminent 
endorsement.  Indeed,  we  are  not  sure  but  that  the  last,  which  i& 
in  the  same  measure  as  Crashaw's,  but  in  our  judgment  far  superior,, 
will  please  the  general  taste  most  of  all." 

William  Cullen  Bryant  (1794-1878),  in  the  New  York 
"Evening    Post": 

"  There  are  few  versions  of  the  Hymn  which  will  bear  to  be- 
compared  with  these;  we  are  surprised  that  they  are  all  so  welt 
done." 

James  Russell  Lowell  (1819-1891),  in  "The  Atlantic 
Monthly": 

"  Dr.  Coles  has  made,  we  think,  the  most  successful  attempt  at 

an  English  translation  of  the  Hymn  that  we  have  ever  seen 

He  has  done  so  well  that  we  hope  he  will  try  his  hand  on  some  of 
the  other  Latin  Hymns.  By  rendering  them  in  their  own  metres, 
and  with  so  large  a  transfusion  of  their  spirit  as  characterizes  his- 
present  attempt,  he  will  be  doing  a  real  service  to  the  lovers  of 
that  kind  of  religious  poetry  in  which  neither  the  religion  nor 
the  poetry  is  left  out.  He  has  shown  that  he  knows  the  worth 
of  faithfulness." 


"  Christian  (Quarterly)  Review  :" 

"Of  Dr.  Coles'  remarkable  success  as  respects  these  particulars 
<(namely,  faithfulness  and  variety),  no  one  competent  to  judge  can 
doubt.  .  .  .  For  all  that  enters  into  a  good  translation,  fidelity  to 
the  sense  of  the  original,  uniform  conformity  to  its  tenses,  preser- 
vation of  its  metrical  form  without  awkwardly  inverting,  inele- 
gantly abbreviating,  or  violently  straining  the  sense  of  the  words, 
and  the  reproduction  of  its  vital  spirit — for  all  these  qualities  Dr. 
Coles'  first  translation  stands,  we  believe,  not  only  unsurpassed, 
'but  unequalled  in  the  English  language." 

"The  Boston  Transcript"  says: 

"  The  '  Dies  Irae'  is  by  far  the  most  interesting  hymn  to  Protestants 
.and  poets,  of  all  that  our  fathers  used  to  sing  or  hear  in  a  strange 
tongue  '  not  understanded  of  the  people;'  and  so  thoroughly  has  the 
translator  (Dr.  Coles)  entered  the  circle  of  the  old  song's  heat  and 
strength  that  he  has  been  carried  through  it  again  and  again,  and 
here  are  more  than  a  dozen  versions  of  the  same  Latin  words,  and 
.an  historical  criticism  in  a  strong,  earnest  and  poetical  style  akin 
;to  that  of  the  hymn  itself." 

Lady  Jane  Franklin,  wife  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  when 

in   this   country,  met   Dr.   Coles   at  the   residence  of  a 

mutual    friend;    similarity   of  tastes,    and    the    interest 

taken    by    Dr.    Coles   in    the    search    for   her   husband, 

ripened  the  acquaintanceship   into   that  of  friendship. 

Prom  her  letter  written  from   New  York,  October  22d, 

-i860,  we  quote  the  following  : 

4  Dr.  Abraham  Coles: 

"  Dea.r  Sir — I  cannot  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  thanking  you 


once  more  for  your  most  beautiful  little  book,  'The  Dies  Irae,  in 
Thirteen  Original  Versions,'  which  I  value  not  only  for  its  intrinsic 
merit,  but  as  an  expression  of  your  very  kind  feelings  towards  me. 
Believe  me,  gratefully  and  truly  yours." 

William  C.  Prime,  in  the  "Journal  of  Commerce": 

"  Dr.  A.  Coles  has  long  been  known  to  the  literary  world  as 
specially  successful  in  the  translation  of  Latin  Hymns.  His  render- 
ings of  the  '  Dies  Irae'  are  familiar  to  many  readers.  He  has  now 
also  prepared  a  book  entitled  'Old  Gems  in  New  Settings,'  an  exquisite 
volume,  in  which  we  find  the  '  De  Contemptu  Mundi,' the  '  Veni 
Sancte  Spiritus,  and  other  fine  old  favorites  skillfully  and  grace- 
fully translated.  The  grand  hymn  or  poem  of  Bernard  de  Clugny, 
of  which  the  extracts  in  this  book  are  styled  '  Urbs  Ccelestis  Syon,* 
is  rendered  in  a  style  very  nearly  resembling  the  original,  and 
gives  the  reader,  who  does  not  understand  Latin,  an  excellent  idea 
of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  hymn  of  Bernard.  Besides 
these,  we  have  the  '  Stabat  Mater,'  with  a  complete  history  of  the 
noble  hymn,  and  a  very  fine  translation.  The  lovers  of  old  hymns 
owe  a  special  debt  of  gratitude  to  Dr.  Coles  for  the  good  taste  and 
the  thorough  appreciation  and  ability  which  he  brings  to  the  work 
of  placing  these  glorious  old  songs  within  reach  of  the  modern 
world.  We  could  wish  them  to  become  favorites  in  every  family, 
and  they  will  so  become  in  spite  of  their  Latin  origin." 

The  Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  in  "Hours  at 

Home": 

"There  are  about  eighty  German  translations  of  the  '  Stabat 
Mater'  and  several  English  translations.  But  very  few  of  the  latter 
strictly  preserve  the  original  metre.  The  English  double  rhyme 
rarely  expresses  the  melody  and  pathos  of  the  Latin.     Dr.  Abraham 


Coles,  the  well-known  author  of  fourteen  translations  of  '  Dies  Irae,' 
has  probably  best  succeeded  in  a  faithful  rendering  of  the  '  Mater 
Dolorosa.'  *  *  *  The  admirable  English  version  of  the  '  Mater 
Dolorosa,'  which  carefully  preserves  the  measure  of  the  original, 
is  from  Dr.  Coles,  who  kindly  granted  us  permission  to  use  it." 

"The  Republican,"  Springfield,  Mass.: 

"  Dr.  Abraham  Coles  won  fame,  and  sure  fame,  by  the  most 
poetic  and  truthful  translations  ever  given  of  that  great  mediaeval 
hymn,  the  'Dies  Irae."' 

George  Ripley  (1802-1880),  in  the  "New  York  Tribune": 

"  United  with  a  rare  command  of  language  and  facility  of  versi- 
fication, this  is  the  secret  of  the  eminent  success  with  which  the 
translator  has  reproduced  the  solemn  litany  of  the  Middle  Ages  in 
such  a  variety  of  forms.  If  not  all  of  equal  excellence,  it  is  hard  to 
decide  as  to  their  respective  merits,  so  admirably  do  they  embody 
the  tone  and  sentiment  of  the  original  in  vigorous  and  impressive 
verse.  The  essays  which  precede  and  follow  the  Hymn,  exhibit  the 
learning  and  the  taste  of  the  translator  in  a  most  favorable  light, 
and  show  that  an  antiquary  and  a  poet  have  not  been  lost  in  the 
study  of  science  and  the  practice  of  a  laborious  profession.  In 
addition  to  the  thirteen  versions  of  '  Dies  Irae,'  the  volume  contains 
translations  of  the  '  Stabat  Mater,'  '  Urbs  Ccelestis  Syon,'  '  Veni 
Creator  Spiritus,'  and  other  choice  mediaeval  hymns  which  have 
been  executed  with  equal  unction  and  felicity. 

"  We  have  also  a  poem  by  the  same  author,  entitled  'The  Micro- 
cosm,'read  before  the  Medical  Society  of  New  Jersey  at  its  centenary 
anniversary.  It  is  an  ingenious  attempt  to  present  the  principles 
of  the  animal  economy  in  a  philosophical  poem,  somewhat  after 
the   manner   of  Lucretius,   and  combining  scientific  analysis  with 


religious  sentiment.  In  ordinary  hands,  we  should  not  regard  this 
as  a  happy,  nor  a  safe  experiment,  but  the  dexterity  with  which  it 
has  been  managed  by  Dr.  Coles,  illustrates  his  versatile  talent  as 
well  as  the  originality  of  his  conceptions. 

The  Rev.  James  McCosh,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  President 
of  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  Princeton,  N,  J. 
"I  have  read  with  the  liveliest  delight  your  translations  of  the 
'  Latin  Hymns.'  I  wonder  how  you  could  have  drawn  out  thirteen 
of  the  '  Dies  Irse,'  all  in  the  spirit  and  manner  of  the  original,  and 
yet  so  different.  I  thought  each  the  best  as  I  read  it.  *  *  *  * 
I  have  read  enough  of  '  The  Microcosm '  to  see  that  it  is  thoroughly 
scientific." 

Richard  Stockton  Field,  LL.  D.,  (1803-1870),  in  1838 
Attorney  General  of  New  Jersey;  in  1862  United  States 
Senator;  in  1863  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  United 
States  District  Judge  for  the  District  of  New  Jersey;  at 
the  time  of  his  death  President  of  the  New  Jersey  His- 
torical Society: 

"  Princeton,  N.  J. 
"Dr.  Abraham  Coles: 

"My  Dear  Sir — With  the  original  'Dies  Irae'  and  'Stabat 
Mater'  I  have  long  been  familiar.  They  have  always  had  a  pecul- 
iar charm,  I  may  say  fascination,  about  them,  and  I  have  loved  to 
repeat  them.  And  now  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  they 
never  have  been,  and  I  doubt  if  they  ever  will  be,  as  well  translated 
into  English  verse  as  they  are  in  your  volume. 

"Knowing  the  difficulty   of  the  task,   seeing  how  others  have 


failed.  I  am  indeed  astonished  at  your  success.  With  the  strictest 
fidelity,  your  translations  have  all  the  tenderness,  pathos  and 
rhythm  of  the  beautiful  and  touching  originals.  I  speak  more 
particularly  of  the  first  of  the  '  Dies  Irae'  and  of  the  '  Stabat  Mater.' 
The  two  first  stanzas  of  the  latter  are  perfect. 

"Your  'Microcosm,'  too,  is  a  noble  poem.  It  has  many  strik- 
ingly beautiful  passages.  It  evinces  science  and  culture,  and  poet- 
ical talent  of  high  order.  You  display  great  command  of  language, 
and  great  facility  of  versification.  Your  prose  also  is  easy  and 
graceful.  I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  afforded  me  of  rendering 
this  feeble  tribute  to  their  merits.     Very  truly  yours." 

The  "  Newark  Daily  Advertiser  :" 

"  Dr.  Coles  has  supplied  a  want  and  done  a  graceful  work  in 
"The  Microcosm."  What  the  flower  or  babbling  stream  is  to  Words- 
worth, that  is  the  stranger,  more  complex,  and  more  beautiful  human 
frame  to  our  author.  In  its  organs,  its  powers,  its  aspirations,  and 
its  passions,  he  finds  ample  theme  for  song.  .  .  Everywhere  the 
rhythm  is  flowing  and  easy,  and  no  scholarly  man  can  peruse  the 
work  without  a  glance  of  wonder  at  the  varied  erudition,  classical, 
poetical,  and  learned,  that  crowds  its  pages,  and  overflows  in  foot- 
notes. And  through  the  whole  is  a  devout  religious  tone  and  a 
purity  of  purpose  worthy  of  all  praise." 

Edmund  C.  Stedman: 

"  Dr.  Coles'  researches,  made  so  lovingly  and  conscientiously  in 
his  special  field  of  poetical  scholarship,  have  given  him  a  distinct 
and  most  enviable  position  among  American  authors.  We  of  the 
younger  sort  learn  a  lesson  of  reverent  humility  from  the  pure 
enthusiasm  with  which  he  approaches  and  handles  his  noble  themes. 
The  '  tone'  of  all  his  works  is  perfect.  He  is  so  thoroughly  in  sym- 
pathy   with    his    subjects  that  the  lay  reader  instantly  shares  his 


feeling;  and  there  is  a  kind  of  'white  light'  pervading  the  whole-*, 
prose  and  verse — which  at  any  time  tranquilizes  and  purines  th* 
mind." 

The  Rev.  Robert  Turnbull,  D.  D.: 

"I  have  finished  the  reading  of  '  The  Microcosm,'  which  ha^ 
afforded  me  unmingled  delight.  It  is  really  a  remarkable  poem, 
and  has  passages  of  great  beauty  and  power.  It  cannot  fail  to 
secure  the  admiration  of  all  capable  of  appreciating  it.  Its  ease, 
its  exquisite  finish,  its  vivid  yet  delicate  and  powerful  imagery,  an<J 
above  all  its  sublime  religious  interest,  entitle  it  to  a  very  high  plac« 
in  our  literature." 

John  G.  Whittier: 

"  Dr.  Abraham  Coles  is  a  born  hymn  writer.  No  man  living  Ov 
dead  has  so  rendered  the  text  and  the  spirit  of  tire  old  and  wonder, 
ful  Latin  Hymns.  *  *  *  His  'All  the  Days'  and  his  '  Ever  Witty 
Thee '  are  immortal  songs.  It  is  better  to  have  written  them  thar< 
the  stateliest  of  epics.  *  *  *  The  idea  of  'The  Microcosm'  is 
novel  and  daring,  but  it  is  worked  out  with  great  skill  and  deli- 
cacy. *  *  *  '  The  Evangel'  is  a  work  of  piety  and  beauty.  The 
Proem  opens  with  strong,  vigorous  yet  melodious  verse.  1  see  no 
reason  why  the  Divine  Story  may  not  be  fitly  told  in  poetry." 

Rev.  S.  I.  Prime,  D.  D.,  in  "The  New  York  Observer": 

"  'The  Evangel  in  Verse,'  is  the  ripest  fruit  of  the  scholarship, 
taste  and  poetic  talent  of  one  of  our  accomplished  students  of  Eng- 
lish verse,  whose  translations  of  '  Dies  Irse'  and  other  poems  have 
made  the  name  of  Dr.  Coles  familiar  in  the  literature  of  our  day. 
In  the  work  before  us  he  has  attempted  something  higher  and 
better  than  any  former  essay  of  his  skillful  pen.     He  has  rendered 


the  Gospel  story  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  into  verse,  with  copious 
notes,  giving  the  largest  amount  of  knowledge  from  critical 
authorities  to  justify  and  explain  the  readings  and  to  illuminate  the 
sacred  narrative.  .  .  .  He  excludes  everything  fictitious,  and  clings 
to  the  orthodox  view  of  the  character  and  mission  of  the  God-man. 
The  illustrations  are  a  complete  pictorial  anthology.  Thus  the 
poet,  critic,  commentator  and  artist  has  made  a  volume  that  will 
take  its  place  among  the  rare  productions  of  the  age,  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  genius,  taste,  and  fertile  scholarship  of  the  author." 


George  Ripley,  in  the  "New  York  Tribune"  : 

"  The  purpose  of  this  volume,  '  The  Evangel,'  would  be  usually 
regarded  as  beyond  the  scope  of  poetic  composition.  It  aims  to  re- 
produce the  scenes  of  the  Gospel  History  in  verse,  with  a  strict  ad- 
herence to  the  sacred  narrative  and  no  greater  degree  of  imaginative 
coloring  than  would  serve  to  present  the  facts  in  the  most  brilliant 
and  impressive  light.  But  the  subject  is  one  with  which  the  author 
cherishes  so  profound  a  sympathy,  as  in  some  sense  to  justify  the 
boldness  of  the  attempt.  The  Oriental  cast  of  his  mind  allures  him 
to  the  haunts  of  sacred  song,  and  produces  a  vital  communion  with 
the  spirit  of  Hebrew  poetry.  Had  he  lived  in  the  days  of  Isaiah  or 
Jeremiah,  he  might  have  been  one  of  the  bards  who  sought  inspira- 
tion 'at  Siloa's  brook  that  flowed  fast  by  the  oracle  of  God.'  The 
present  work  is  not  the  first  fruits  of  his  religious  Muse,  but  he  is 
already  known  to  the  lovers  of  mediaeval  literature  by  his  admir- 
able translations  of  the  '  Dies  Iras.'  .  .  .  The  volume  is  brought  out 
in  a  style  of  unusual  elegance,  as  it  respects  the  essential  requisites 
of  paper,  print  and  binding,  while  the  copious  illustrations  will  at- 
tract notice  by  their  selection  of  the  most  celebrated  works  of  the 
best  masters." 


The  Rev.  James  McCosh,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  upon  the 
publication  of  "  The  Evangel  :  " 

"College  of  New  Jersey, 

"  Princeton,  N.  J. 
"  You  are  giving  to  the  world  further  proof  that  we  did  ourselves 
honor  in  conferring  upon  you  some  years  ago  the  honorary  degree 
of  LL.  D.     *     *     *     *     I  spent  several  hours  last  Sabbath  in  read- 
ing your  poem,  and  relished  it  very  much." 

Daniel  Haines  (1801-1877),  in  1843  elected  Governor 
of  New  Jersey,  and  re-elected  in  1847;  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court;  one  of  the  committee  on  the  reunion 
of  the  two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  : 

"  Hamburg,  N.  J. 

"My  Dear  Sir — lean  scarcely  find  fitting  words  in  which  to 
express  my  sincere  thanks  for  your  kind  remembrance  of  me  in  the 
presentation  of  the  beautiful  copy  of  your  recent  work,  '  The 
Evangel  in  Verse.'  From  the  introduction,  the  proem  and  a  few 
chapters,  I  judge  it  to  be  a  work  of  rare  excellence.  The  metrical 
composition  is  pleasant  to  the  ear  and  eye,  and  is  remarkable  for  its 
literal  meaning.  To  me  the  greater  charm  is  its  clear  and  forcible 
expressions  of  evangelical  truth  and  sound  Christian  doctrine. 

"  It  is  the  most  succinct  and  complete  refutation  of  the  doctrine 
of  Darwin  and  Huxley  that  I  have  seen. 

"The  Christian  world  owes  you  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  your 
labor  and  research,  and  heartfelt  thanks  to  God  for  giving  you  the 
ability  to  produce  a  book  so  full  of  instruction,  and  affording  so 
much  gratification  to  the  cultivated  mind." 

The  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.  D.: 
"  'The  Evangel  in  Verse  '  is  a  feast  to  the  eye  and  ear  and  heart. 


The  careful  exegesis,  the  conscientious  loyalty  to  the  statements  of 
the  Holy  Story,  the  sympathetic  reproduction  of  a  remote  and 
Oriental  past,  the  sacred  insight  into  the  meaning  of  the  Peerless 
Career,  the  homageful  yet  manly,  unsuperstitious  reverence,  the 
rhythm  as  melodious  as  stately,  the  frequent  notes,  opulent  in  learn- 
ing and  doctrine  and  devotion,  the  illustrations  deftly  culled  from 
whatever  is  choice  in  ancient  and  modern  art,  these  are  some  of 
the  many  excellencies  which  give  to  'The  Evangel  in  Verse'  an  im- 
mortal beauty  and  worth,  adding  it  as  another  coronet  for  Him  on 
whose  brow  are  many  diadems." 

The  Rev.  Charles  Hodge,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.  (1797-1878): 

"  I  admire  the  skill  which  'The  Evangel'  displays  in  investing 
with  rainbow  hues  the  simple  narrations  of  the  Gospels.  All,  how- 
ever, who  have  read  Dr.  Coles'  versions  of  the  '  Dies  Irae  '  and  other 
Latin  Hymns  must  be  prepared  to  receive  any  new  productions 
from  his  pen  with  high  expectations.  In  these  days  when  even  the 
clerical  office  seems  in  many  cases  insufficient  to  protect  from  the 
present  fashionable  form  of  scepticism,  it  is  a  great  satisfaction  to 
see  a  man  of  science  and  a  scholar  adhering  so  faithfully  to  the 
simple  Gospel." 

The  Hon.  Frederick  Theodore  Frelinghuysen  : 

"  United  States  Senate  Chamber, 

"Washington,  D.  C. 
"  My  Dear  Doctor — Many  thanks  to  you  for  having  written 
'The  Evangel.'  It  is  admirably  conceived  and  executed.  While 
the  poem  impresses  the  truth,  it  will  lure  many  who  would  have 
remained  uninformed  to  the  valuable  instruction  contained  in  the 
Notes.  The  notes  on  Darwin,  The  Logos,  Herod,  and  the  miracle 
at  Ajalon,   are   excellent.     The  poem  brings   out  many   scriptural 


truths,  which  are  not  on  the  surface.  Let  me  say,  it  is  a  great  thing 
to  have  written  the  book — to  have  your  labor  associated  with  sal- 
vation." 


The  Rev.  Robert  Lowell,  D.D.,  in  the  "Church  Monthly": 

' '  Dr  Coles  is  plainly  a  man  of  a  very  religious  heart  and  a  deeply 
reverential  mind.  .  .  .  Moreover  he  has  so  much  learning  in  his 
favorite  subject,  and  so  much  critical  instinct  and  experience,  that 
those  who  can  relish  honest  thinking,  and  tender  and  most  skillful 
and  true  deductions,  accept  his  teaching  and  suggestion  with  a  ready 
— sometimes  surprised — sympathy  and  confidence.  Add  to  all  this, 
that  he  has  the  sure  taste  of  a  poet,  and  the  warm  and  loving  earn- 
estness of  a  true  believer  in  the  redeeming  Son  of  God,  and  the 
catholic  spirit  of  one  who  knows  with  mind  and  heart  that  Christian- 
ity at  its  beginning  was  Christianity,  and  we  have  the  man  who  can 
write  such  books  as  earnest  Christian  people  will  welcome  and  be 
thankful  for.  .  .  .  In  this  new  book  he  proposes  '  that  "  The  Evangel" 
shall  be  a  poetic  version,  and  verse  by  verse  paraphrase,  so  far  as  it 
goes,  of  the  Four  Gospels,  anciently  and  properly  regarded  as  one.' 
He  makes  an  exquisite  plea,  in  his  preface,  for  giving  leave  to  the 
glad  words  to  rejoice  at  the  Lord's  coming  in  the  Flesh,  for  which  all 

other  beings  and  things  show  their  happiness In  the  notes 

the  reader  will  find  (if  he  have  skill  for  such  things)  a  treasure-house, 
in  which  everything  is  worthy  of  its  place.  Where  he  has  offered 
new  interpretations,  or  set  forth  at  large  interpretations  not  gener- 
ally received  or  familiar,  he  modestly  asks  only  to  have  place  given 
him,  and  gives  every  one  free  leave  to  differ.  Everywhere  there  is 
the  largest  and  most  true-hearted  charity.  .  .  .  The  reader  cannot 
open  anywhere  without  finding  in  these  notes,  if  he  be  not  wiser  or 
more  learned  than  ourselves,  a  great  deal  that  he  never  saw,  or 
never  saw  so  well  set  forth  before." 


Stephen  Alexander,  LL.  D.,  Professor  of  Mechanics 

and  Astronomy  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey: 

"  Princeton,  N.  J. 
"Abraham  Coles,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.: 

"My  Dear  Sir — I  have  delayed  the  acknowledgement  of  the 
receipt  of  your  beautiful  '  Evangel'  until  I  could  make  some  return 
after  the  same  fashion.  Please  accept  my  sincere  thanks,  as  well 
as  my  congratulations  on  your  great  success.  I  am  always  inter- 
ested in  your  books,  and  always  learn  something  from  them. 

"With  this  I  send  a  copy  of  my  '  Statement  and  Exposition  of 
Certain  Harmonies  of  the  Solar  System,'  which  I  hope  may  reach 
you  safely.  Please  accept  the  same,  with  my  respects  and  regards. 
I  think  the  Notes  at  the  end  and  the  supplement  may  especially 
interest  you." 

Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  : 

"  There  is  a  kind  of  straightforward  simplicity  about  the  poetical 
paraphrases  which  reminds  one  of  the  homelier  but  still  always  inter- 
esting verses  which  John  Bunyan  sprinkles  like  drops  of  heavenly 
dew  along  the  pages  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress.  The  illustrations 
add  much  to  the  work,  in  the  way  of  ornament,  and  aid  to  the  imag- 
ination. One  among  them  is  of  terrible  power,  as  it  seems  to  me, 
such  as  it  would  be  hard  to  show  the  equal  of  in  the  work  of  any 
modern  artist.  I  mean  Holman  Hunt's  '  Scapegoat.'  There  is  a 
whole  theology  in  that  picture.  It  haunts  me  with  its  fearful  sug- 
gestiveness  like  a  nightmare.  I  find  '  The  Evangel '  an  impressive 
and  charming  book.  It  does  not  provoke  criticism — it  is  too  devout, 
too  sincere,  too  thoroughly  conscientious  in  its  elaboration  to  allow 
of  fault-finding  or  fault-hunting." 

William  Cullen  Bryant  : 
' '  I  have  read  '  The  Evangel '  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction.     The 


versification  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  both  an  expansion  of  the  sense 
and  a  commentary.  The  thought  has  often  occurred  to  me  what  a 
world  of  meaning  is  there  wrapped  up,  and  that  meaning  is  admira- 
bly brought  out." 

Henry  Woodhull  Green,  LL.  D.,  (1802-1876),  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey  from  1846 
till  i860,  when  he  became  Chancellor  : 

"Trenton,  N.  J. 
"Abraham  Coles,  LL.  D.,  Newark,  N.  J.: 

"  My  Dear  Sir — I  have  read  as  much  of  '  The  Evangel '  during 

the  month   since   I   received   it  as  my  leisure  and  the  state  of  my 

health  have  permitted.     Of  its  literary  merits,  I  do  not  feel  myself 

qualified  to  judge,  but  its  perusal  has  given  me  great  pleasure.     I 

have  been  particularly  impressed  with  the  fidelity  with  which  you 

have  adhered  to  the  sacred  narrative,  unmarred  by  the  decorations 

of  heathen  mythology  or  papal  fable.     I  regard  that  as  no  ordinary 

merit.     I  can  well  understand  the  strong  temptation  under  which  a 

man  of  high  classic  culture  must,  in  a  work  of  this  kind,  constantly 

labor,  to  turn  from  the  stern  simplicity  of  the  sacred  narrative  to 

seek  embellishment  amid   the  flowers  of  classic  fiction.     To  have 

resisted  successfully  such  temptation,  I  regard  as  a  very  high  merit; 

and  I  congratulate  you  on  the  production  of  a  work,  which,  I  cannot 

doubt,  will  redound  to  your  own  honor  and  the  honor  of  OUR  State. 

With  high  regard,  I  am,  very  respectfully  yours." 

Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  writing  from  Westwood,  Beulah 
Hill,  Upper  Norwood,  speaks  of  "The  Evangel"  as  "a 
grand  volume,"  and  concludes  his  affectionate  letter 
"with  the  words  : 

"Peace  be  to  you,  and  every  blessing.     May  Scotch  Plains  be  a 


spot  wherein  Jesus  dwells  with  a  happy  household.      Yours   very 
heartily." 

The  Hon.  William  Earl  Dodge,  (1805-1883),  merchant 
and  philanthropist,  in  a  letter,  written  from  his  resi- 
dence in  New  York  City,  to  Dr.  Coles  : 

"Mrs.  Dodge  and  myself  have  very  much  enjoyed  'The  Evan- 
gel,' having  carefully  read  it.  Such  perfect  conformity  to  the  text 
and  spirit  of  the  sacred  narrative,  so  beautifully  transferred  to 
verse,  we  have  seldom  found." 

Thomas  Gordon  Hake,  M.  D.,  author  of  "Madeline, 
and  Other  Poems  and  Parables": 

"  12  Portland  place, 
"West  Kensington,  W.,  London. 
"I   have- read   'The   Evangel,'  and    'The  Light  of  the  World,' 
with  deep  interest,  and  with  assurance  that  the  learning  and  intelli- 
gence displayed  in  executing  so  difficult  a  work   will    secure   it  a 
lasting  place  in  our  joint  national  literature." 

The  "New  York  Observer": 

"The  skill  of  Dr.  Coles  as  an  artistic  poet,  his  reverent,  religious 
spirit,  and  the  exalted  flight  of  his  muse  in  the  regions  of  holy  medi- 
tation are  familiar  to  our  readers.  It  is,  therefore,  superfluous  for 
us  to  do  more  than  announce  a  new  and  elegant  volume  from  his 
pen — '  The  Macrocosm  and  Other  Poems.'  It  is  rich  in  its  contents. 
'The  Microcosm'  is  an  essay  in  verse  on  the  science  of  the  human 
body  ;  it  is  literally  the  science  of  physiology  condensed  into  1,400 
lines.  The  many  occasional  poems  that  follow  are  the  efflorescence 
of  a  mind  sensitive  to  the  beautiful  and  rejoicing  in  the  true;  find- 


ing  God  in  everything,  and  delighting  to  trace  the  revelation  of  His 
love  in  all  the  works  of  His  hand.  Such  a  volume  is  not  to  be 
looked  at  for  a  moment  and  then  laid  aside.  Like  the  great  epics, 
it  is  a  book  for  all  time,  and  will  lose  none  of  its  interest  and  value 
by  the  lapse  of  years.  The  publishers  have  given  it  a  splendid  dress, 
and  the  illustrations  add  greatly  to  the  attractions  of  this  truly  ele- 
gant book." 

The  "New  York  Times": 

"  The  flavor  of  the  book,  'The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems,'  is 
most  quaint,  suggesting,  on  the  religious  side,  George  Herbert,  and 
on  the  naturalistic  side,  the  elder  Darwin,  who,  in  '  The  Botanic 
Garden,'  laid  the  seed  of  the  revolution  in  science,  accomplished  by 
the  patient  genius  of  his  grandson.  Some  of  the  hymns  for  children 
are  beautiful  in  their  simplicity  and  truth." 

"The  Critic": 

"  The  long  poem,  '  The  Microcosm,'  which  gives  its  name  to  the 
present  collection,  has  many  beautiful  and  stately  passages.  Among 
the  shorter  pieces  following  it,  is  to  be  found  some  of  the  best  devo- 
tional and  patriotic  poetry  that  has  been  written  in  this  country." 

John  Y.  Foster,  author  and   editor,  in  "  Frank   Les- 
lie's  Illustrated   Newspaper": 

"  In  this  exquisite  and  brilliantly  illustrated  volume,  the  scholarly 
author  has  gathered  up  various  children  of  his  pen  and  grouped 
them  in  family  unity.  '  The  Microcosm,'  which  forms  one-fifth  of  the 
volume  of  350  pages,  is  an  attempt  to  present,  in  poetical  form,  a 
compendium  of  the  science  of  the  human  body.  In  originality  of 
conception  and  felicity  of  expression,  it  has  not  been  approached  by 
any  work  of  our  best  modern  poets.  The  other  poems  are  all 
marked  by  the  highest  poetic  taste,  having  passages  of  great  beauty 
and  power." 


Hon.  Justin  McCarthy  : 

"  20  Cheyne  Garden,  Chelsea,  London,  England. 
"Dear  Dr.  Coles — I  am  surprised  to  see,  in  looking  through 
your  volume,  'The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems,'  that  you  have  been 
able  to  add  three  more  versions  to  those  you  have  already  made  of 
that  wonderful  Latin  hymn,  perhaps  the  greatest  of  all,  'Dies  Irae.' 
Certainly  it  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  to  translate.  I  like  your  last 
"version  especially." 

The  "  Examiner  and  Chronicle": 

"The  title-poem  in  this  exquisitely  printed  and  charmingly  illus- 
trated volume,  '  The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems,'  has  been  for  some 
time  before  the  public,  and  has  received  generous  commendation 
for  the  tact  and  skill  evinced  in  handling  a  very  unpromising  theme. 
A  poetic  description,  minute  and  thorough  going  of  the  human  body 
was  a  serious  undertaking;  but  Dr.  Coles  delights  in  what  is  diffi- 
cult and  hazardous.  He  had  already  associated  his  name  forever 
with  the  mediaeval  Latin  hymn, '  Dies  Irae,'  by  publishing  no  less  than 
thirteen  distinct  versions  of  it.  In  the  volume  before  us  he  gives 
us  three  more  versions.  The  other  poems  will  not  detract  from  the 
author's  previous  reputation." 

Hon.  Horace  N.  Congar,  lawyer,  editor,  United  States 
Consul  at  Hong  Kong,  China,  under  President  Lincoln; 
and  Consul  at  Prague,  Bohemia,  under  President  Grant: 

"  United  States  Consulate, 

"  Prague,   Bohemia. 
"There  is  one  thing,  my  dear  Doctor,  about  your  publications 
which  no  one  can  deny.     You  print  your  own  poetical  thoughts  and 
conceptions.     They  are  not  copies  of  some  other  writer,  but  stand 


out  clear  and  distinct  with  your  own  diction  and  strength;  written 
for  the  scholarly  and  intelligent,  they  preserve  true  simplicity  with. 
the  real  grandeur  of  their  conception." 

The  Rev.  William  Hague,  D.  D.  (1808-1887),  in  "Life 
Notes;  or  Fifty  Years'  Outlook": 

"The  (Newark)  'Advertiser'  yet  lives  and  thrives,  winning  to 
its  service  the  contributions  of  scholarly  writers,  among  whom  we 
have  noticed,  occasionally,  the  veteran  physician  and  poet,  Dr. 
Abraham  Coles,  author  of  'The  Evangel'  with  its  immense  wealth 
of  critical  scholasticism;  and  the  tasteful  and  rhythmic  translator  of 
Latin  poetry  that  enriches  our  libraries,  for  instance,  in  the  artistic- 
ally wrought  edition  of  the  '  Dies  Iree.'" 

The  "Newark  Daily  Advertiser": 

"  '  The  Microcosm'  is  the  only  book  of  the  kind  in  the  language, 
and  is  well  deserving  of  a  place  in  every  library,  and  might,  we 
think,  moreover,  be  introduced  with  advantage  into  all  schools  where 
physiology  is  taught  as  an  adjunct,  if  nothing  else,  to  stimulate  inter- 
est, and  relieve  the  dryness  of  ordinary  text  books.  In  lines  of 
flowing  and  easy  verse,  the  author  sets  forth  with  a  completeness 
certainly  remarkable,  and  with  great  power  and  beauty  the  incom- 
parable marvels  of  structure  and  function  of  the  human  body. 

"  This  poetic  mastery,  making  ductile  the  most  unpromising  ma- 
terials, has  had  its  latest  and  supreme  exemplification  in  the  com- 
pletion of  the  unique  work,  'The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord, 
in  Verse.'  '  The  Evangel,'  forming  the  first  part,  appeared  in  1874, 
'  The  Light  of  the  World,'  forming  the  second  part  and  completing 
the  work,  is  now,  1884,  first  published.     *     *     * 

"  By  common  consent  the  story  of  the  life  of  Jesus,  as  told  by 
the  four  evangelists,   is  the  unmatched  masterpiece   of  literature. 


Its  literary  interest  is  hardly  inferior  to  its  religious.  It  is  pre-emi- 
nently classic.  The  most  fervid  encomiums  have  come  from  infidels 
and  the  great  literary  artists  of  the  world.  To  taboo  it,  therefore, 
as  something  outside  of  literature,  betrays  ignorance  and  imbecility. 
Mr.  Edwin  Arnold  has  duly  celebrated  in  his  poem,  'The  Light  of 
Asia,' the  Buddhist  hero,  Prince  Siddartha,  and  has  had,  it  would 
seem,  readers  among  all  classes.  The  life  and  teachings  of  Him 
who  is  'The  Light  of  the  World,'  and  whose  fame  fills  the  ages, 
.are  surely  not  less  worthy  of  regard  and  study  by  the  cultiva- 
tors of  literature.  The  author  has  striven,  it  would  seem,  to  make 
his  book  a  veritable  cyclopaedia  of  religious  knowledge,  so  compre- 
hensive is  its  scope.  It  ranges  through  the  Old  Testament  and  the 
New.  An  episode  in  the  first  part,  outlines  nearly  the  whole  his- 
tory of  the  Jewish  people.  The  poetical  proem  and  the  note  ap- 
pended thereto  are  in  effective  antagonism  to  Darwinism  and  cur- 
rent evolution  theories.  An  elaborate  note  on  'The  Logos  '  gives 
an  historical  summary  of  the  prevailing  creeds  and  christologies 
from  the  earliest  times. 

"  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  it  is  a  book  deserving  of  a  place 
beside  the  New  Testament  in  every  household,  and  cannot  fail  to 
be  found  a  valuable  help  to  every  reader  and  student  of  the  sacred 
.Scriptures." 

The  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.: 

''Philadelphia,  Pa. 
"My  Dear  Doctor  Coles — Most  happy  do  I  count  myself  in 
possessing  'The  Light  of  the  World.'  It  has  all  those  same  fine 
characteristics  which  so  richly  mark 'The  Evangel.'  It  must  be  a 
source  of  supreme  delight  to  the  accomplished  author  that  he  has 
been  permitted  to  complete  a  work  so  lofty  in  design,  and  so  admir- 
able in  execution." 


Rev,  Alfred  Spencer  Pattern,  D.  D.  (1825-1888),  author^ 
editor  of  "The  Baptist  Weekly,"  etc.: 

"Our  good  and  gifted  friend,  Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  has  every 
reason  to  be  gratified  with  the  highly  complimentary  notices  by 
the  press,  of  his  last  work,  'The  Light  of  the  World,'  it  being  the 
second  volume  or  completion  of  his  life  of  Jesus,  as  told  by  the 
evangelists." 

The  Hon.  Joseph  P.  Bradley,  LL.  D.,  one  of  the 
Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  : 

"Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  14,  1884. 
"Dear  Doctor — I  have  read  nearly  all  of  your  beautiful  book,. 
'The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord,  in  Verse,'  and  like  it  better 
the  longer  I  read  it.  You  had  two  rocks  to  avoid:  on  one  side  pro- 
saic (ameness,  which  might  be  incurred  by  too  rigid  an  adherence  to 
the  text;  on  the  other  rashness  in  attempting  (even  poetical)  changes 
of  consecrated  forms  of  expression — changes  which  no  English  or 
American  ear  would  endure.  I  appreciate  the  difficulty  of  j;he  task,,. 
and  think  you  have  performed  it  wonderfully  well." 

John  G.  Whittier: 

"Amesbury,  Mass.,  January,  '1885. 
"  'The  Light  of  the  World'  I  have  read  with  interest.  Thy 
poetical  version  of  the  wonderful  narrative  seems  to  be  conscien- 
tiously faithful  to  the  original,  while  at  the  same  time  it  success- 
fully interprets  some  passages  which  are  not  clear  to  the  ordinary 
reader.  It  will  be  a  helpful  book  to  many,  who  will  realize,  for  the 
first  time,  the  true  meaning  and  significance  of  the  Lord's  words*. 
I  am,  with  high  respect  and  esteem,  thy  friend." 


The  Right  Honorable  John  Bright,  M.  P.,  England  : 

"  132  Picadilly,  London,  April  30,  1885. 
"  Dear  Dr.  Coles — When  I  began  to  read  your  volume  on  'The 
Life  and  Teachings  of  Christ  in  Verse,'  I  thought  you  had  attempted 
to  gild  the  refined  gold,  and  would  fail — as  I  proceeded  in  my  read- 
ing that  idea  gradually  disappeared,  and  I  discovered  that  you  had 
brought  the  refined  gold  together  in  a  manner  convenient  and  useful 
and  deeply  interesting.  I  have  read  the  volume  with  all  its  notes, 
many  of  which  seem  to  me  of  great  value.  I  could  envy  you  the 
learning  and  the  industry  that  have  enabled  you  to  produce  this 
remarkable  work.  I  hope  it  may  have  many  readers  in  all  countries 
where  our  language  is  spoken." 


The  Rev.  Henry  Griggs  Weston,  D.  D.,  author  and 
editor,  President  of  the  Crozer  Theological  Seminary, 
Chester,  Pennsylvania: 

"Your  work,  'The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord,' is  one  of 
the  gratifying  fruits  of  the  study  which  the  Gospels  have  received 
since  I  first  began  to  inquire  for  helps  to  their  understanding." 

The  Rev.  Horatius  Bonar,  D.  D.: 

"  10  Palmerston  Road,  Grange,  Edinburgh. 
*#**"!  am  struck  with  your  command  of  language,  and 
your  skill  in  clothing  the  simplicities  of  history  with  the  elegance  of 
poetry.  It  ('  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord  in  Verse')  is  no 
ordinary  volume,  and  your  notes  are  of  a  very  high  order  indeed — 
admirably  written,  and  full  of  philosophical  thought  and  Scriptural 
research." 


The  Rev.  Alexander  McLaren,  D.  D.: 

"  Manchester,  Eng.,  Nov.  3,  1885. 
"Dear  Sir — I  congratulate  you  on  having  accomplished  with  such 
success  a  most  difficult  undertaking;  and  on  having  been  able  to 
present  the  inexhaustible  life  in  a  form  so  new  and  original.  I  do 
not  know  whether  I  have  been  most  struck  by  the  careful  and  fine 
exegetical  study,  or  the  graceful  versification  of  your  work.  I  trust 
it  ('  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord  in  Verse')  may  be  use- 
ful, not  only  in  attracting  the  people,  which  George  Herbert  thought 
could  be  caught  with  a  song,  when  they  would  run  from  a  ser- 
mon, but  may  also  help  lovers  of  the  sermon  to  see  its  subject  in  a 
new  garb." 

Adele  M.  Fielde,  missionary  at  Swatow,  China  : 

"Those  whose  judgment  is  of  value  have  given  Dr.  Coles'  trans- 
lations of  the  Latin  hymns  such  high  praise,  that  words  of  commend- 
ation from  me  would  appear  presumptuous.  I  am  glad,  for  the 
world's  sake,  that  the  wonderful  Latin  hymns  were  written,  and  that 
Dr.  Coles  has  so  translated  them,  and  I  am  glad  for  my  own  sake 
that  I  have  them  to  read.  *  *  *  *  I  think  Dr.  Coles  has  done 
an  excellent  thing  for  us  in  his  '  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord.'  " 

Elizabeth  Clementine  Kinney,  author  and  poet,  wife 
of  Hon.  William  Burnet  Kinney;  and,  by  her  first 
husband,  Edmund  B.  Stedman,  the  mother  of  Edmund 
Clarence  Stedman,  the  distinguished  poet  and  critic  : 

"  Dr.  Coles  long  ago  established  a  high  reputation  in  both  worlds, 
by  his  matchless  translations  of  that  famous  old  judgment  hymn, 
the  'Dies  Irse,'  and  of  mediaeval  hymns,  published  under  the  title  of 
'Old  Gems   in    New   Settings;'    also  by  his  unique    original  poem. 


The  Microcosm,'  which  has  glorified  by  immortal  verse  this  mortal 
TDody,  so  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made  that  every  part  harmonizes 
with  the  poet's  song.  In  'The  Evangel'  and  'The  Light  of  the 
World,'  already  noticed  by  'The  Observer,'  while  conscientiously 
.adhering  to  the  sacred  text,  Dr.  Coles'  frequent  elaborate  notes  give 
freedom  to  some  original  suggestions  growing  out  of  the  author's 
fifty  years'  devout  study  of  the  Bible.  It  will  be  well  to  heed  any 
proposition  brought  forward  by  one  who  has  been  so  long  a  reverent 
student  as  to  have  become  a  profound  thinker,  and  thus  an  able 
teacher  of  the  divine  word.  Every  thought  or  idea  advanced  by 
Dr.  Coles  will,  doubtless,  on  thorough,  unprejudiced  investigation, 
be  found  supported  by  a  reasonable  interpretation  of  Scripture. 
Between  the  acts  of  this  sacred  drama  there  are  also  some  hymnal 
excursions,  which  show  the  height  and  depth,  the  color  and  light, 
the  melody  and  ecstasy,  of  the  true  Christian  poet.  Through  his 
many  works,  one  noble  aim  is  ever  apparent,  viz.:  to  'crown  Him 
Lord  of  all '  who  is  '  the  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith '  and  '  the 
giver  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift.'  Noticeable,  too,  through  all, 
is  progression,  in  respect  of  enlargement  by  study  and  thought ; 
of  advancement  with  advancing  years,  keeping  pace  with  the  age 
in  increasing  light  so  far  as  it  develops  heavenly  truth,  and 
original  conception  through  truth." 

"  The  Book  Buyer,"  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New 
York : 

"'The  Hebrew  Psalms  in  English  Verse.'  By  Abraham  Coles, 
M.  D.,  LL. D.  Dr.  Coles  has  won  praise  from  some  of  the  most 
eminent  of  critics  for  his  translation^  into  English  of  the  '  Dies 
Irse,'  the  characteristics  of  the  work  being  faithfulness  to  the  spirit 
of  the  original,  combined  with  a  command  of  rich  and  rythmic  Eng- 
lish. His  tastes  have  led  him  to  translate  the  great  Hebrew  classic 
into  English  verse,  a  task  of  unusual  difficulty  which  many  have 


undertaken,  but  in  which  few  have  attained  even  partial  success. 
Dr.  Coles's  work  will  attract  wide  attention  by  reason  of  its  lofty  reli- 
gious spirit,  its  admirable  reflection  of  the  incomparably  fine  flavor 
of  the  original,  its  dignified,  stately  diction  and  the  scholarly  care 
bestowed  upon  every  line.  The  book,  moreover,  has  an  additional 
value  in  the  prefatory  matter  which  includes  an  essay  on  the  char- 
acter of  the  Psalms,  a  detailed  account  of  the  French,  English  and 
Scotch  metrical  versions  of  the  Psalms  and  a  chapter  of  interesting- 
notes,  critical,  historical  and  biographical.  An  admirable  steel 
portrait  of  Dr.  Coles  serves  as  a  frontispiece  to  the  book." 

Rev.  Theodore  L.  Cuyler,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.: 

"Dear  Dr.  Coles — Your  volume  on  the  Psalms  is  a  noble  workr 
and  the  introduction  is  rich  and  sweet  as  a  honeycomb.  Two  Sab- 
baths ago  I  gave  out  from  my  pulpit  your  fine  hymn,  '  Lo,  I  am  with. 
you  all  the  days,'  and  told  the  congregation  some  things  about  the 
author.  *  *  *  *  You  will  be  quite  at  home  up  among  heaven's 
choir  of  psalmists  and  chosen  singers." 

The  "  New  York  Tribune  ": 

"  'A  New  Rendering  of  the  Hebrew  Psalms  into  English  Verse,, 
with  Notes,  Critical,  Historical  and  Biographical,  including  an 
Historical  Sketch  of  the  French,  English  and  Scotch  Metrical 
Versions,'  by  Dr.  Abraham  Coles.  Dr.  Coles'  name  on  the 
title-page  is  a  sufficient  indication  of  the  excellence  and  thorough- 
ness of  the  work  done.  Indeed,  Dr.  Coles  has  done  much  more 
than  produce  a  fresh,  vigorous  and  harmonious  version  of  the 
Psalms,  though  this  was  alone  well  worth  doing.  His  full  and  schol- 
arly notes  on  the  early  versions  of  Clement  Marot,  Sternhold  and 
Hopkins  and  others,  his  sketches  of  eminent  persons  connected  in 
various  ways  with  particular  psalms,  his  literary  and  bibliographical 


information,  together  impart  a  value  and  interest  to  this  work 
which  should  insure  an  extensive  circulation  for  it.  Very  much  of 
the  historical  and  other  matter  thus  brought  within  the  reach  of  the 
public  is  inaccessible  to  such  as  have  not  means  of  access  to  public 
libraries,  and  there  is  certainly  no  Christian  household  in  the  coun- 
try which  would  not  find  both  pleasure  and  instruction  in  Dr. 
Coles'  compendious  and  altogether  unique  volume.  It  may  be 
added  that  in  his  version  of  the  Psalms  he  has  wisely  preserved  the 
rhythmical  swing  and  the  terse  language  which  distinguish  the  early 
renderings,  and  that  therefore  those  who  have  been  reared  on  the 
old  versions  need  not  fear  finding  their  favorites  changed  '  out  of 
knowledge.' " 

The  Rev.  Frederic  W.  Farrar,  D.  D.,  F.  R.  S.,  Chap- 
lain in  Ordinary  to  the  Queen,  author  of  the  "Life  of 
Christ,"  etc.,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Coles  : 

"  17,  Dean's  Yard,  Westminster,  S.  W. 
"The  task  of    versifying  the   Psalms   was   too   much  even   for 
Milton,  but  you  have  attempted  it  with  seriousness  and  with  as- 
much  success  as  seems  to  be  possible.     I  was  much  interested  in 
your  introduction." 

The  Rev.  A.  H.  Tuttle,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.: 

"  'The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Our  Lord,  in  verse,' has  greatly 
aided  me  in  my  efforts  to  interpret  heavenly  things.  I  am  glad  you 
have  lived  to  complete  your  versification  of  the  Psalms.  I  am  now 
making  a  protracted  and  careful  study  of  the  old  Hebrew  Hymn 
Book,  and  your  work  will  be  of  untold  help  to  me.  I  have  already 
read  my  favorite  psalms  as  you  sing  them.  They  are  rich  beyond 
expression." 


The  Rev.  Charles  S.  Robinson,  D.  D.; 

"I  have  read  many  of  your  really  excellent  versions  of  the 
Psalms.  It  seems  to  me  you  have  added  richly  to  our  available 
literature  in  that  direction.  I  have  been  specially  interested,  also, 
in  the  prefaced  notes.  Some  of  the  information  is  quite  new  to  me, 
and  the  comments  are  all  good  and  helpful." 

Hon.  George  Hay  Stuart,  the  eminent  philanthropist 
in  January,  1888,  wrote  from  Philadelphia  : 

"'The  New  Rendering  of  the  Hebrew  Psalms  into  English 
Verse,'  I  prize  very  much.  It  is  exceedingly  good  and  very  suggest- 
ive. The  subject  matter  is  of  peculiar  interest  to  me.  I  have  been 
brought  up,  as  perhaps  you  know,  in  old  Rouse's  version  of  the 
Psalms,  but  never  held  the  view,  that  many  do,  that  nothing  else  can 
be  sung  in  the  praise  of  God.  Our  own  congregation,  up  to  recently, 
used  nothing  but  that  version.  Now  we  have  so  far  advanced  that 
we  sing,  also,  hymns  and  spiritual  songs.  *  *  *  *  The  United 
Presbyterian  Assembly  has  recently  adopted  a  new  version  of  the 
Psalms,  but  I  think  their  leading  men  ought  to  see  this  version." 

The  Rev.  D.  R.  Frazer,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  Newark,  N.  J.: 

"  My  Dear  Dr.  Coles — I  do  not  know  that  I  can  give  any  better 
expression  of  my  appreciation  of  your  last  work  than  to  say  that  my 
wife  and  I  sat  up  until  after  midnight,  reading  psalm  after  psalm 
with  very  great  delight.  The  versification  is  beautiful,  and  its  beauty 
intensifies  by  its  fidelity  to  the  common  version.  Hoping  the  book 
may  do  much  good,  in  making  manifest  the  beauties  of  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  portions  of  the  Word  of  God,  I  am,  with  great 
respect,  ever  sincerely  yours." 


Charles  M.  Davis,  Secretary  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Christian  Philosophy,  Superintendent  of  Public 
Schools,  Essex  county,  N.  J.,  etc.: 

"  Dear  Dr.  Coles — During  the  past  year  I  have  been  reading  the 
revised  version  of  the  Psalms,  in  connection  with  the  received. 
Your  translations  will  be  a  help  to  me,  as  I  do  not  understand 
Hebrew.  I  have  read  your  introduction  very  carefully,  and  find  it 
contains  especially  valuable  information,  as  do,  also,  your  occasional 
notes.  The  psalms  that  I  have  read  aloud  in  the  family  have  been 
greatly  enjoyed,  especially  the  107th,  136th  and  137th.  We  are 
anticipating  much  pleasure  from  the  continuance  of  this  during  the 
winter  evenings." 

The  Rev.  A.  H.  Lewis,  D.  D.,  editor  of  "The  Outlook 
and  Sabbath  Quarterly": 

"  I  have  been  greatly  interested  in  the  book,  not  only  in  the 
success  which  you  have  attained  in  versifying  the  Psalms,  but  in  the 
valuable  matter  embodied  in  the  introduction.  I  have  usually  found 
ic  difficult  to  interest  myself  in  any  versification  of  the  Psalms, 
especially  in  the  early  efforts  by  Watts  and  others.  On  opening 
your  volume,  I  found  myself  inclined  to  read  in  detail,  rather  than  to 
examine  cursorily.  It  is  very  difficult  to  versify  Hebrew  poetry. 
The  success  you  have  attained  in  expressing  the  delicate  shades  of 
sentiment  commands  our  congratulations,  and  may  justly  give  you 
abundant  satisfaction." 

S.  W.  Kershaw,  F.  S.  A.,  author,  librarian  of  the 
Lambeth  Palace  Library,  London,  England,  etc.: 

"Lambeth  Library,  12  June,  1888. 

<■*#**  rn  (his  library  there  is  a  fine  collection  of  works 
on  the  liturgies,  prayer-book.  etc.     In  your  '  New  Rendering  of  the 


Hebrew  Psalms  Into  English  Verse,'  I  am  greatly  interested  in  the 
introduction,  in  reading  about  the  psalms  of  Clement  Marot,  and  in 
the  allusion  to  the  Huguenots.  My  little  book  on  the  '  Protestants 
from  France  in  their  English  home' was  kindly  reviewed  in  one 
of  your  papers.     *     *     *     *  " 


J.  K.  Hoyt,  editor  and  author: 

"  Bay  View,  Florida. 

"  Dear  Dr.  Coles — I  have  passed  a  very  pleasant  Sunday  morn- 
ing in  looking  over  your  new  book.  I  wish  you  had  invoked  the  spirit 
of  Beethoven,  and  written  the  music  as  well  as  the  words;  for  the 
proper  use  of  a  metrical  version  of  the  Psalms  is  to  sing  them. 
Still,  the  book  is  a  wonderful  one,  and  encourages  me  to  believe  that 
age  is  not  necessarily  a  bar  to  work.  I  enjoy  the  notes  much, 
and  very  often  find  myself  turning  from  the  essay  to  the  verses 
referred  to.  You  will  leave  a  melodious  monument  behind  you,  my 
good  Doctor." 


The  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.  D.: 

"  My  Dear  Dr.  Coles — I  greatly  admire  your  new  book  for  many 
reasons  :  first,  for  its  rich  introductipn,  felicitously  describing  the 
character  of  the  Psalms,  giving  us  an  exhaustive  history  of  metrical 
versions,  presenting  critical,  historical  and  biographical  notes  of  great 
value  ;  secondly,  for  your  new  rendering  of  the  Psalms,  a  rendering 
conscientious,  mellifluous,  fresh  and  suggestive;  thirdly,  and  not  least, 
for  the  frontispiece,  representing  one  who  has  both  the  David  spirit 
and  the  David  music.     Faithfully  yours." 


The  Rev.  Lewis  R.  Dunn,  D.  D.: 

"  I  like  the  'rhythmic  flow'  of  the  words  of  your  work,  its  truths, 
its  thorough  orthodoxy,  its  blending  of  the  results  of  most  recent 
scholarship  in  lines  and  notes,  its  beautiful  illustrations  of  the  text, 
and  its  high  intellectual  and  spiritual  tone — a  classic  in  our  good 
old  English  tongue." 


Asahel  Clark  Kendrick,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  author,  Pro- 
fessor of  Hebrew,  Greek  and  Latin  in  the  University  of 
Rochester,  New  York  : 

"  In  your  translation  of  the  Hebrew  Psalms  into  English  verse, 
you  may  well  be  congratulated  in  having  thus  nobly  crowned 
your  series  of  poems  devoted  to  those  themes,  which  aid  the  aspir- 
ations of  the  soul  upward  toward  God  and  heaven,  and  may  well 
task  the  highest  human  efforts.  The  renderings  are  in  clear 
and  weighty  verse,  fitted  to  the  noble  simplicity  of  the  original ;  and 
the  notes  are  instructive  and  valuable." 


George  MacDonald,  author  and  poet : 

"London,  England. 
"  My  dear  Doctor  Coles. — I  send  you  by  this  post  a  copy  of 
my  little  book  on  the  religious  poetry  of  England.  I  am  sure  you 
will  find  a  good  deal  to  sympathize  with  in  it.  *  *  *  I  am  sorry 
to  say  I  have  not  yet  received  your  book,  which  I  should  like  muck 
to  see  after  the  taste  you  gave  me,  sheltered  and  ministered  unto 
by  you  and  yours.  Let  me  hope  I  may  once  more  be  your  guest, 
and  that  you  may  be  ours.  Believe  in  my  love  and  gratitude. 
Yours,  with  sincere  affection." 


The  Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  in  "  Literature 
and  Poetry,"  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  1890: 

"A  physician,  Abraham  Coles,  prepared  between  1847  and  1859. 
thirteen  versions  (of  the  'Dies  Irae'),  six  of  which  are  in  the  trochaic 
measure  and  double  rhyme  of  the  original,  five  in  the  same  rhythm, 
but  in  single  rhyme,  one  in  iambic  triplets,  like  Roscommon's,  the 
last  in  quatrains,  like  Crashaw's  version.  Two  appeared  anonyi 
mously  in  the  Newark  '  Daily  Advertiser,'  the  first  one  in  1847, 
and  a  part  of  it  found  its  way  into  Mrs.  Stowe's  '  Uncle  Tom's- 
Cabin  ; '  subsequently  this  version  was  set  to  music  in  Henry 
Ward  Beecher's  '  Plymouth  Collection  of  Hymns  and  Tunes.' 
The  thirteen  versions  were  first  published  together  with  an  in- 
troduction in  1859.  He  has  since  published  three  additional  ver- 
sions in  double  rhyme,  New  York,  1881,  in  'The  Microcosm  and 
Other  Poems.'  In  August,  1889,  he  made  one  more  version  in 
single  rhyme  and  four  lines.  These  seventeen  versions  show  a 
rare  fertility  and  versatility,  and  illustrate  the  possibilities  of 
variation,  without  altering  the  sense.  Dr.  Coles,  in  the  eleventh 
stanza  of  his  first  translation  of  1847,  had  anticipated  Irons, 
Peries,  and  Dix: 

"  '  Righteous  Judge  of  retribution, 
Make  me  gift  of  absolution 
Ere  that  day  of  execution.' 

*  *  *  "Dr.  Abraham  Coles,  of  Scotch  Plains,  N.  J.,  the  suc- 
cessful translator  of  '  Dies  Irae,'  and  '  Stabat  Mater,'  has  reproduced, 
but  has  not  yet  (1889),  published,  all  the  passion  hymns  of  St. 
Bernard." 


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